Acute and primary care trusts coped well with the first one-day strike by NHS Logistics staff last week, according to strategic health authorities.
SHAs contacted by HSJ said they had received no reports of any problems caused by the first of two one-day walkouts by staff protesting at the government's decision to award the NHS's Logistics contract to German distribution giant DHL.
Staff at five of NHS Logistics' six depots stopped work for 24 hours from Thursday night, and they were due to walk out again from Tuesday night. The sixth depot is already operated by DHL.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said the disruption caused was similar to a bank holiday. Some trusts and PCTs arranged for supplies to be provided by other firms, and others ordered extra supplies ahead of Thursday's stoppage.
Around 800 of NHS Logistics' 1,400 staff are Unison members and a spokeswoman for the union said the strike was 'solid' among its members. She said she expected the effect of the two one-day walkouts to be 'cumulative'.
Unison has dropped plans to seek a judicial review of the decision to award the Logistics contract to DHL. The case was due to have been heard on Tuesday, but the union's legal team advised that there was little chance of overturning it.
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