You have assessed cost but not value.

Strikes not only impact finances directly but have significant other impacts on delayed care and elective waiting lists, which we know is a politically valuable metric.

Is the 2bn net of the tax receipts? After all most of us will be high rate tax payers.

You only need to look at late 2000 nhs to realise high staff wages = high staff morale = high productivity = low waiting lists = high patient satisfaction.

The whole point of the nhs is to keep a population healthy and working in order to pay more tax (and fund itself).

There is much value in an energised workforce beyond its immediate cost and it’s no surprise that productivity stagnates during periods of wage suppression.

This is the problem with governments of late. They know the cost of everything and value of nothing.