Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (): The Strikes (Minimum
Service Levels) Act 2023 allows the Secretary of State to make
regulations to establish minimum service levels for relevant
services in the event of strike action. They must consult with
such persons as they consider appropriate before making
regulations. Minimum service levels aim to limit the impacts of
strike action on the lives and livelihoods of the public and to
strike a balance between the right of unions and their members to
strike with the need for the wider public to be able to access
key services during strikes.
A key priority for this Government is to ensure that our health
services can continue to deliver vital services to treat and
support patients at their time of need, particularly during
challenging times. On Tuesday the Department of Health and Social
Care (DHSC) launched a consultation seeking views to inform
decisions on the introduction of regulations on minimum service
levels in England, Scotland and Wales, to protect patient safety
in key hospital-based services during strike action.
Our proposal is that most essential and time-critical hospital
services should be covered by minimum service levels regulations.
This consultation will help to inform decisions on whether
hospital services should be covered and, if so, which services,
and the appropriate minimum service levels required. The
consultation will also seek views on whether any health services
outside ambulance services and hospital services should be
included in minimum service levels.
The consultation will run for eight weeks and will close on 14
November 2023.
