How do strikes by public sector workers affect public services?

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1. 1

   Evaluating the impact of NHS strikes on patient flow through emergency departments.

   Emergency medicine journal : EMJ (Garner et al.)Published Feb 24, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “The impact of different striking professions on patient time to admission was investigated using HRs, where a higher HR indicated faster admission.ResultsOver the analysis period, we observed 61 separate strike days: 40 junior doctor strike days, 11 nursing days, 10 consultant days and 7 ambulance days. Junior doctor and consultant strikes coincided on 4 days. For the type 1 ED, median time to see a clinician was similar on strike and non-strike days (median 2 hours 27 min on strike days (IQR: 1 hour 2 min to 4 hours 53 min), 2 hours 27 min on non-strike days (IQR: 1 hour 5 min to 5 hours 14 min)). Patients were admitted through the ED more quickly on both the junior doctor and consultant strike days compared with non-strike days (HRs: 1.12, 1.28, both p≤0.001). This increased flow was only seen while consultants were striking in the type 2 smaller ED.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the improved patient flow observed on strike days could be driven by the additional inpatient capacity created through the postponement of elective care. This result indicates that NHS hospital systems could potentially be adjusted to enhance turnaround times and reduce ED crowding.”

2. 2

   Industrial action and emergency department attendances in England, 2022-2024: a retrospective multicentre causal mediation analysis.

   Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (Wyatt et al.)Published Jul 1, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “During the residents' strikes, patients were more likely to receive treatments in ED (adjusted incident risk ratio 1.013, 95% CI 1.008-1.018), but less likely to be admitted (adjusted odds ratio 0.963, 95% CI 0.946-0.980). Efforts to meet the 4-h target intensified during the resident, consultant and combined doctors strike, but reduced during the nurse and paramedic strikes. This explained 2.7% and 17.1% of the changes in average ED durations observed during the resident and consultant strikes, respectively. There were substantial reductions in many forms of planned hospital care during the resident, consultant and combined doctor strikes, but these did not contribute to the observed reductions in ED durations.ConclusionIndustrial action - particularly by resident and consultant doctors - was associated with shorter ED stays, partly mediated by greater emergency bed availability, lower demand and intensified throughput efforts. However, much of the reduction during resident strikes remained unexplained, suggesting unmeasured operational or behavioural adaptations. Substantial reductions in planned care did not significantly affect ED performance.”

3. 3

   Understanding the Drivers of Strike Actions Among Nurses in Ghana: A Qualitative Study.

   Nursing open (Atinga et al.)Published Mar 1, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “AimThis study aimed to explore the rationale behind nurses' decisions to strike, focusing on the lived experiences, motivations, and institutional conditions that prompt such industrial actions.DesignA qualitative exploratory study.MethodsA semi-structured interview was conducted with 20 professional nurses working with a district, regional, or teaching hospital who have ever engaged in strike. Participants were selected from public hospitals across 5 regions in Ghana based on their consent to participate in the study across Ghana between March 2025 and June 2025. The data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's method.ResultsData analysis led to five themes and fifteen subthemes. These include poor remuneration, lack of adequate logistics, perceived government neglect, professional identity struggles, and emotional exhaustion.ConclusionThe findings highlight the urgent need for policy interventions that address systemic inequities and improve the professional welfare of nurses.Patient or public contributionNo patient or public contribution.”

4. 4

   Hundreds of thousands of workers on strike across Republic of Ireland

   BBC NewsPublished Oct 14, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “It comes amidst an an ongoing pay dispute between public sector workers and the Irish government.”

5. 5

   Strike action (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 13, 2026Checked Oct 14, 2026

   “Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike in British English, or simply strike, is a form of direct action in which employees collectively refuse to work. It is usually a response to employee grievances. Generally, strikes are intended to bring an employer to accede to employees' demands for improved working conditions or unionisation, particularly when other avenues of change, such as negotiations or legal redress, have been exhausted. Strike actions can be called by trade unions or be instigated by rank-and-file activists. Strikes became common during the Industrial Revolution, when mass labor became important in factories and mines. As striking became a more common practice, governments were often pushed to act (either by private business or by union workers). When government intervention occurred, it was rarely neutral or amicable. Early strikes were often deemed unlawful conspiracies or anti-competitive cartel action, and many were subject to massive legal repression by state police, federal military power, and federal courts. Many Western nations legalized striking under certain conditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”