Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral evidence session of 9 May 2023 of the Health and Social Care Committee on Industrial action in the NHS, HC 1341, if he will make it his policy to prioritise holding local negotiations during public service industrial action.

When strike action takes place NHS England works with providers, professional bodies, trade unions and other bodies to agree the safe level of cover for days when industrial action is taking place. Even when these rigorous contingency plans are in place, the risk of industrial action endangering the lives and health of patients and the public remains if we continue to rely on a patchwork of locally agreed voluntary derogations from strike action. These derogations are often not confirmed until very late in the day, or indeed might not materialise on strike days as they are voluntary, and staff and unions can withdraw these.

The Government has consulted on whether minimum service levels should be in place for ambulance services during strike action. The consultation closed and we are considering the responses. As strike action is now increasingly being taken without voluntary derogations being agreed by unions, whether at a local or national level, the Government is now considering whether to consult on introducing minimum service levels for a wider range of health services in order to protect the lives and health of the public.