The impact of strike action on patient morbidity: A systematic literature review (18 January 2022)

Summary

This systematic review in the International Journal of Health Planning and Management aimed to examine and analyse the existing literature that examines the impact of strike action on patient morbidity—all patient outcomes apart from death. 15 studies were included in the review. and articles included a variety of outcomes from hypertension control to rates of chlamydia. Strikes ranged from 13 to 118 days, with a mean strike length of 56 days.

The authors found that the majority of studies reported that strike action had a neutral or mixed impact on patient morbidity. One study reported positive outcomes and three studies reported negative outcomes, however in both cases, the impact that the strike had was marginal.