On 19 December, 15,500 NI nurses began a twelve-hour strike over pay and staff numbers. The NI secretary, Julian Smith, believes the action illustrates why it is important that power-sharing is restored. He is leading political talks which he hopes will lead to a restored ministerial executive early next year. When devolved government was operating, decisions on health sector needs were taken by individual ministers from different parties. But for almost three years, the parties have been absent from Stormont following the collapse of devolution, and it has been left to civil servants, without power to make or overturn decisions, to hold the fort on health. Hours before the strike, party leaders urged Mr Smith to order civil servants to release the money health unions were asking for. It was too little, too late.