Paramedics have been told they will not be given any bonus payments for missing out on millennium celebrations.

The Essex Ambulance Trust says it does not have enough money to pay staff extra over the new year, and would have to cut back services or go overdrawn to meet their demands.

"There is no money in the system for the millennium," finance director Brian Shipley warned board members yesterday.

"So if we make any payments those payments must be made by the Trust at risk."

There is also no official guidance from the NHS, he said.

Ambulance staff will be paid usual Bank Holiday rates - hundreds of pounds less than the unions' recommendations.

A united force of unions representing NHS staff say they should claim an extra £500 for working over the millennium period, and £250 for shifts either side of it.

A spokeswoman for the Royal College of Nursing said: "It's much more sensible to get a national agreement because as we approach the millennium people will get more anxious and everyone needs to plan for it.

"Trusts should really be thinking about what they are doing."

The claim was submitted a few months ago by unions, including Unison which represents ambulance staff, to the General Whitley Council which bargains on behalf of all NHS staff.

It looked unlikely that central Government would provide any extra money, said the RCN spokeswoman.

A spokeswoman for the eastern region of the NHS said the Government was "urgently looking at the implications" of the millennium.

Board members also heard that the Essex Ambulance Service is to make a bulk buy of fuel for vehicles at the end of November.

It will be stored at ambulance stations and won't be touched unless needed for emergency supplies. Vehicles will be filled up at petrol stations meanwhile.

The Trust is expecting demand to be five times higher than last new year.

More staff, especially from administration, are being trained to deal with calls into the emergency control centre.

Paul Leaman, director of operations, told board members: "We are confident as we can be about the millennium, but not complacent."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.