AMBULANCE crews are to be balloted over strike action in a bid to resolve a dispute over long hours and working conditions.

The decision was taken by about 35 representatives of Unison, the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) and the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP).

The unions voted overwhelmingly in favour of balloting all ambulance and emergency workers, from paramedics to control staff, on industrial action over conditions. But today, health chiefs defended their position with the 1,000-plus employees across Lancashire and said: "We are very disappointed."

The nine-month dispute concentrates on working hours, meal breaks and being short staffed. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who represents Blackburn, said: "I am very concerned about this. I shall be looking into it." Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans, said: "This could be a disaster for the people of East Lancashire."

Today, Steve Watt, director of ambulance and emergency operations in Lancashire, said: "We have made robust developments with the unions and have set out clear improvements in working conditions. The unions seem to feel that this is too little too late. My first reaction was one of disappointment as the proposals we have put forward have been very good."

Bob Parkinson, spokesperson for the joint unions, said: "Staff feel they have no option but to look for industrial action, including strike action. We feel that resource managers have just not moved quickly enough."

Among proposals set out by health bosses was a 30-minute protected meal break on 12-hour shifts unless crews received an emergency call out. The ballot will go out to ambulance staff in the coming days and the result is up for discussion again at a meeting on October 14.

In January of this year, paramedics flagged up several crisis points to the chief executive of Lancashire Ambulance service, David Hill.

They claimed to be regularly paged while handing over a patient in A & E to go and collect another and were suffering from stress as a result of overwork. And management was accused of achieving response time targets set by the Government at the expense of staff's health and morale.