Labour’s strike chaos cancels almost 9,000 NHS appointments each strike day this year

New analysis shows that Labour's failure to stand up to militant unions is cancelling almost 9,000 NHS appointments on every single strike day this year, leaving patients without care and hospitals under severe strain.

So far this year, 93,000 NHS appointments have already been lost to strike action. When combined with a further 38,500 appointments cancelled with the strikes starting tomorrow, the total rises to 131,566 cancelled appointments, the equivalent of 8,771 appointments lost for every strike day.

The Conservatives have consistently warned that Labour's decision to hand out inflation-busting pay rises last year, without securing reform or a long-term workforce plan, would set a dangerous precedent. The rejection of Labour's latest offer now shows the consequences of that approach: escalating demands, repeated walkouts and growing uncertainty for patients.

With another wave of NHS strikes expected tomorrow, thousands more patients face cancelled operations and delayed treatments at one of the most critical times of the year. Flu cases are rising, winter pressures are mounting, and yet doctors will once again walk off the frontline and onto the picket line. Labour's failure to act has left the NHS exposed and patients paying the price.

Labour promised to “reset” industrial relations in the NHS. Instead, it has reignited them. There has been no meaningful reform, no long-term workforce plan and no serious attempt to balance fair pay with patient safety. The BMA also know this is the most critical time of year when patients need them the most. This is a clear dereliction of duty.

Only the Conservatives have a clear, decisive plan to end this destructive cycle and put patients first. A future Conservative government will ban doctors' strikes, just as we do for the army and police and introduce minimum service levels across the NHS to ensure patient safety always comes before union demands. Labour's weakness has put lives at risk. The Conservatives will restore order, protect patients and get the NHS and Britain working again.

Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Health Secretary, said:

“Labour's weakness has now cancelled almost 9,000 appointments every single strike day this year. These aren't just numbers, they are cancelled cancer treatments, delayed operations and patients left waiting in pain and uncertainty.

“With strikes taking place in the middle of winter as flu cases rise, patients are being abandoned at the worst possible time. Labour needs to grow a backbone and stop kowtowing to the unions. If they were truly serious about cutting waiting lists and delivering the health system our country deserves, they would back our plans to protect patients.

“The NHS should never be held hostage. The Conservatives have a clear plan to put patients first, ban doctors' strikes and introduce minimum service levels across the NHS. Labour's weakness is costing patients dearly, and the country deserves better.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

•  131,566 appointments could be lost due to the three weeks of strike action in 2025. NHS Industrial Action statistics show the total number of appointments rescheduled from July 2025 was 54,095; in November 2025 38,961 appointments were lost; and 38,500 could be lost - in outpatients alone - when the third round of strike action takes place this December (NHS, Industrial Action Data, 15 December 2025, link; The Guardian, 15 December 2025, link). 

• 15 days of strike action have taken place or planned averaging almost 9,000 appointments lost to every day of strike action.There have been 10 full days of strike action with a further five planned which  averaged across days leaves 8,771 appointments  lost to strike action.

In the NHS, 131,500 appointments have already been lost this year. 93,000 were lost in previous appointments, and 38,500 are estimated to be lost in the latest strike action. (The Guardian, 15 December 2025, link).

• In July 2025, there were 64,499 staff absent across the strike period as a result of industrial action. Between 25 July and 29 July, there were 64,499 staff absent due to industrial action, effectively losing 64,499 days. (NHSE, Industrial Action workforce situation report, 4 August 2025, archived).

• During strike action between 25 July and 29 July 2025, 54,095 appointments were cancelled or rescheduled. (NHSE, Industrial Action workforce situation report, 4 August 2025, archived).

• Compared with a similar 5-day strike in December, this leads to an estimated 45,905 staff absences during this strike action. If 54,095 appointments were cancelled because of 64,499 staff absences, then if we are going likely to lose 38,500 appointments, we can estimate 45,905 staff absences during this strike action. This is likely to be a low estimate given increased hospitalisation for Flu at the moment. (NHSE, Industrial Action workforce situation report, 4 August 2025, archived).

• If the number of days lost to industrial action in the NHS was increased by 50 per cent, that would cost the NHS an additional £43.73 million and disrupt 27,050 more appointments. This is likely to be an underestimate of appointment disruption due to the inclusion of weekend data, when fewer inpatient and outpatient appointments are scheduled. (Policy Exchange,Completely Unreasonable, July 2025, link).

• The loss of 64,499 days to strike action was estimated to have cost £87.46 million. In July, we lost 64,499 days to strike action in terms of the workforce. The estimated effect of the employment rights bill was a 50% increase in this, which would cost £43.73 million, which would suggest the initial cost of the 64,499 days lost was £87.46 million. (Policy Exchange, Completely Unreasonable, July 2025, link).

• This would mean if we lost 45,905 days this time round, the estimated cost would be £62.25 million. Applying the same ratio of the number of days lost and cost, 45,905 days lost would cost £62,25 million. (Policy Exchange, Completely Unreasonable, July 2025, link).