Don’t get drunk: UK govt urges caution amid ambulance strike

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of ambulance workers in Britain are staging a one-day strike, with unions and the government swapping accusations of blame for putting lives at risk. The government is telling people not to play contact sports, take unnecessary car trips or get drunk in order to reduce their risk of needing an ambulance on Wednesday. Unions have pledged to respond to life-threatening calls, but officials say they can’t guarantee everyone who needs an ambulance will get one. Health care staff are seeking big raises in the face of decades-high inflation. But the government is refusing to budge, saying double-digit public sector raises would drive inflation even higher.