Thousands of people in Sussex have reason to be grateful to ambulance workers for doing their job so ably.

Whether they are working on an emergency at road crash scenes or taking frail pensioners to hospital, they usually act with care and compassion.

Like so many public service employees, they plead poverty and, in Sussex, have taken action over pay and conditions.

Their bosses accused them of endangering the care of patients even in emergencies, a claim hotly denied by the workers.

This dispute could now be solved with a little common sense as the pay increase finally agreed is not much different from the 3.6 per cent on the table, which has been accepted elsewhere. Already the action has been suspended.

However, it has previously led to acrimony between employers and staff, which has proved remarkably long lasting.

Meanwhile, the firefighters' dispute which started last autumn is still going on and is also causing a great deal of friction.

There are no such problems in the third arm of the emergency services, the police, who are generally better paid but who are forbidden to go on strike.

Unions will not agree but a no-strike deal for firefighters and ambulance workers in response for a considerable hike in pay could be the long-term answer.

Then no one will be able to accuse either sector of endangering patients while pursuing claims for more pay.