Paramedics will be taking industrial action tomorrow following a stalemate in 18 months of talks on working conditions.

The Health Authorities said this afternoon that in spite of several meetings between the two sides, there was a lack of agreement in principle on many matters and the union issued directives which would affect the public.

The union said last Monday that the directives were being issued for radiographers, audiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podologists, medical laboratory scientists, dental technologists, dental hygienists, speech language pathologists, orthoptists and neurophysiology technologists.

Each group will be directed to follow a set of actions, such as refraining from using communication devices, refusing to work in the community, refusing new outpatients and CDAU cases and refusing to process routine tests by GPs and Health Centres such as checking of cholesterol levels.

Emergency cases and life-threatening situations will not be hit.

The union said people should phone the hospital or health centres to check if they will be affected by these actions.