More than 50 workers in the microbiology department at Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, part of the hospital trust, were set to walk out, after also taking action on 22 and 23 May, following concerns that staff burnout and understaffing was putting patients at risk.

However, following the incident in Liverpool, which saw a car plough into a crowd in the city centre, leaving over 50 people injured, the workers decided to suspend the industrial action.

Unite regional officer, Derek Jones, said: 'Following yesterday's tragic events in Liverpool, members took the immediate decision to suspend action so they could provide full support to the major incident which has been declared by the hospital trust.

'The dispute is not over and more action is planned, but we are urging Liverpool Clinical Laboratories to come back to the table and commit to addressing the problems with staffing and overwork.'

At present, further strike dates have not been announced.

In response, a spokesperson for Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, said: 'We appreciate the swift and responsible action taken by Unite and their members, which enabled us to prioritise patient safety during a time of critical need as we responded to the incident that took place in Liverpool city centre on Monday.

'We acknowledge the importance of the issues raised by microbiology staff and remain committed to working together with Unite to address these and find a resolution to this dispute.'