Analysis: ‘The unions should be finding a common ground’

“I AM really surprised that the ambulance crews have rejected this latest offer. It was far too much money. But what surprises me most of all is that the three trade unions involved appear to be unable to get round a table, discuss what their members want, and come to a compromise between them.

“That would be simple but it is obviously too difficult for them to think about that.

“They should be finding a common ground. The unions should talk about a solution, put it to their members, and then you have a policy and you can go back to the management with a united front.

“If they can’t do that then the government has to step in.

“This situation has been dragging on for more than a year now.

“I think the public and patients will be very angry about the failure to find a resolution because it puts lives at risk here.

“We don’t want the ambulance crews being fatigued but we want something that is acceptable to them and is acceptable to patients because patients are the stakeholders.

“Nicola Sturgeon is a very clever woman and, knowing her background, if she can put an input in here, she should get involved.”

• Margaret Watt is chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association