Unison has begun balloting ambulance staff on whether they would support industrial action in protest at shift changes introduced last month.

The changes, by the Great Western Ambulance Service, have proved unpopular with front line staff in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire.

The majority of 12-hour shifts in Wiltshire used to be 7am to 7pm or 7pm to 7am but the start times now range between 5am and 9am.

Chris Hewett, Unison steward and a paramedic supervisor, said: “Ambulance staff are raising quite serious safety and welfare concerns of patients and staff regarding the shift changes imposed in November. We did a questionnaire of our members and 97 per cent said they didn’t have confidence in the changes. We had a response rate of 75 per cent of our 600 members.

“The next step is to get a mandate for industrial action by balloting our members.”

Mr Hewett said industrial action could include a work to rule, refusing to work overtime or strikes.