22/09/2006

NHS staff walk out on strike

The first national walkout of NHS staff for eighteen years has been hailed as a "solid success" by Unison.

Hundreds of staff from NHS Logistics walked out on a 24-hour strike at 10pm on Thursday night in protest at the sale of the supply agency to German firm DHL.

Unison said that the strike had seen "solid support."

Distribution centres in Kent, Derbyshire, Cheshire, West Yorkshire and Suffolk have been affected by the strike.

Unison said that firefighters, and members from the local trades council and NUT had arrived at the Bury St Edmunds depot in Suffolk to show their support for the strike.

The union also said that they had received support from other unions, the PCS and Amicus.

NHS logistics delivers medical equipment and food to hospitals and GP surgeries across England.

However, the Department of Health said that there was unlikely to be any significant disruption to NHS operations and Unison said that emergency plans were in place to provide cover for life-saving equipment during the strike.

A second strike is due to take place on September 26.

(KMcA/EF)

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