PARAMEDICS will only be sent to the most serious incidents on Mondaymorning asambulance staff strike.

East of England Ambulance Service workers will stage a four-hour walkout from 7am to 11am, leaving just bank holiday staffing levels covering the region.

Unions insist crews will be available to respond to lifethreatening incidents, but the strike is taking place as other health staff also walk out over pay.

Sam Older, regional organiser for the Unison union, said: “We want to reassure people there is a safe limit on staff. We will have bank holiday level staffing.

“We won’t be making it unsafe, but we are at a point where the Government is not listening and we need to do something.”

The GMB union’s NHS lead for the East, Tony Hughes, said out of 700 members, Essex had the majority – around 500 – and all had been asked to take action.

He said: “We haven’t been approached by the ambulance service about contingency plans, but our staff will be reacting to the most serious and life-threatening calls.’’ Hospitals, GP surgeries, and mental health services are all expected to be hit as NHS staff walk out.

Following strike action on Monday, staff will undertake four days of “work to rule”, in which they will insist on taking breaks and refuse overtime.

Southend Hospital will be shielded from the effects as its staff have “unique’’ local pay deals, so few, if any, will join action.

On Tuesday, more public sector strikes were due to take place, with staff in local government and in schools taking action.

The GMB and Unison planned an all-day walkout that would have included non-teaching staff in Southend schools.

However, unions last night suspended the strike in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unison, GMB and Unite were due to strike over pay.

But they said Tuesday's action had been suspended after the Local Government Association made “new proposals’’.

The unions said they would now consult members on the proposals.

Claire Wormald, Southend Unison’s branch secretary, said: “Our staff are facing a 20 per cent drop in their pay packet, compared to the cost of living, since 2008, so some of our members are struggling.