NHS: Strikes
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to answer of 11 September 2025, to Question 73326, on NHS: Strikes, if he will make it his policy to prohibit NHS employees who undertake strike action to be paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.
Answered by Karin Smyth
There are no current plans to prohibit National Health Service employees in England who undertake strike action from being paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.
NHS staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodies or other NHS organisations, including NHS trusts, on days of industrial action, as long as they are not provided by an employment business to cover the work of striking workers. Before the British Medical Assocation Resident Doctors Committee (BMA RDC) strike action in July 2025, NHS England set out in guidance that resident doctors who have chosen to take industrial action should not undertake a locum or bank shift elsewhere during the period of action. This guidance is available at the following link:
During the BMA RDC strike action in December 2025, NHS England issued additional communications to trusts to reaffirm the existing guidance.
NHS staff should consider the guidance published by the relevant professional bodies before undertaking additional work during strike days. The Department continues to monitor the impact of industrial action on NHS services and staffing arrangements.
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