Unison, whose members have just accepted a pay deal, said more than a dozen providers are being used to plug response holes, with crews and vehicles being booked up to a year in advance to deal with emergencies.
The NHS has been accused of"shocking waste" after research by a trade union found it was spending more than £1m a week on private ambulances for emergency calls.
It said more than a dozen private companies have been used by trusts in England to try and plug holes and meet response times amid what it called overwhelming demand.Crews and vehicles are booked up to a year in advance, Unison claimed, so they are available to response to emergency incidents such as strokes and road traffic accidents.
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