HOSPITAL workers went on strike on October 22, 1982, calling for a 12 per cent pay rise.

Life in the county's hospitals was disrupted with minor operations and admissions being cancelled.

However, health administrators said the action was not as well supported as previous strikes.

At the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, health service managers took on the duties of porters who were on strike.

The managers took over when numbers of porters on duty fell below the level needed to supply an emergency service.

Most workers returned to work the following day, however the effects of the drivers' strike were still being felt, with upplies of drugs and fresh linen still not reaching hospitals as frequently as usual.

At the John Radcliffe Hospital the strike even resulted in a shortage of washing up liquid.