Essex, Ryan ORCID: 0000-0003-3497-3137 , Ahmed, Salina, Elliott, Helen ORCID: 0000-0002-8798-1037 , Lakika, Dostin, Mackenzie, Laura and Weldon, Sharon Marie ORCID: 0000-0001-5487-5265 (2022) The impact of strike action on healthcare delivery: a scoping review. International Journal of Health Planning & Management, 38 (3). pp. 599-627. ISSN 0749-6753 (Print), 1099-1751 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3610)

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Abstract

Background: Strike action carried out by healthcare workers raises a range of ethical issues. Most fundamentally, as a strike is designed to disrupt, it has the potential to impact patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. This paper synthesises and analyses the empirical literature that details the impact of strike action on healthcare delivery.
Methods: A systematic scoping review was utilised to examine the extent, range and nature of research activity. Embase, Medline, CINAHL, Bioethicsline, EconLit and Web of Science were searched, yielding 5644 results. Papers were included if they examined the impact that strike action had on healthcare delivery (i.e., admissions, presentation). After screening 43 papers met inclusion criteria.
Results: Nineteen studies explored presentations to emergency or admissions to hospital. Both dropped dramatically when comparing non-strike to strike periods. Ten studies examined length of stay in hospital and waiting times. No relation to either was found in relation to strike action, with some studies showing that wait times decreased. Nine studies examined the impact of strike action in facilities that were not on strike, but impacted by nearby strike action and the impact that strike action had on treatment seeking. Hospitals dealing with these upstream impacts often saw increase in presentations at hospitals, but results relates to treatment seeking during strike action were mixed.
Conclusion: Strike action can have a substantial impact on the delivery of healthcare, but this impact is not felt uniformly across services. While many services are disrupted, a number are not, with several studies reporting increased efficiency.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	strike; protest; health; healthcare
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Professional Workforce Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Health Sciences (HEA)
Last Modified:	07 Jul 2023 12:38
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/38264

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