LONDON (Reuters), Sep 21 - National Health Service workers will stage the first of two 24-hour strikes on Thursday, which could seriously disrupt medical and food supplies to hospitals across England.
The first walkout by members of public service Unison at five NHS Logistics depots will start at 10 p.m. after staff voted to strike earlier this month. It will be the first national strike in the NHS for 18 years.
The action is in protest against plans to outsource the medical supplies service to German-owned courier company DHL and American healthcare contractor Novation.
It will be followed by a second strike on September 26, timed to coincide with a debate on the NHS at the Labour Party conference in Manchester.
Unison said it balloted 900 staff, who voted 74% for industrial action on a 66% turnout.
"There can be absolutely no justification for privatizing this service," said Unison's Head of Health Karen Jennings.
Around 1,650 staff from NHS Logistics and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) are due to be transferred to DHL, a subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Post, on October 1 under a government plan unveiled earlier this month.
NHS Logistics was established in 2000 to source and deliver products ranging from food to bedding and medical equipment to hospitals, doctors' surgeries, and other NHS organizations.
The government says the NHS will save 1 billion pounds under a 10-year contract with DHL by expanding the range of products supplied.
The Department of Health has said the one-day strike will not cause significant disruption and that it has contingency plans in place.
Last Updated: 2006-09-21 11:01:35 -0400 (Reuters Health)
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NHS staff in UK vote for national strike, September 12, 2006
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![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnieeurope.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
