Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Industrial Action

Tuesday 22 July 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • NHS leaders have determined that past strikes caused wider harm than previously realised, so routine operations are to continue.
  • Local NHS leaders will decide what is possible given staffing levels.
  • The Department will help resolve the dispute while ensuring fair treatment for all NHS staff.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party South Antrim
NHS
Context

The question follows previous strikes that cost £1.7 billion and rescheduled 1.5 million appointments. Strikes are imminent this week.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of industrial action on NHS services, noting that during past resident doctors' strikes elective procedures were usually postponed but now the chief executive of NHS England instructs hospitals to continue these procedures?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

NHS leaders have determined that past strikes caused wider harm than previously realised, so routine operations are to continue. Local NHS leaders will decide what is possible given staffing levels. The approach aims to keep priority treatments going without treating planned care as less important.

Answered
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Q2 Lorraine Beavers Lab Blackpool North and Fleetwood
NHS
Context

Healthcare assistants have been underpaid for years, leading to a ballot for strike action by Unison. Staff feel undervalued due to the incorrect pay band.

Question

Is it agreed that healthcare assistants in Blackpool’s NHS trusts are worth as much as those in other parts of the north-west and should be paid correctly? Does the Secretary of State agree with this assessment?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

The issue raised is serious. The Department will help resolve the dispute while ensuring fair treatment for all NHS staff, especially those who work hard but are underpaid.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to immediate action or timeline was not provided

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