Latest news with #DenisCampbell
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Friday briefing: Can the NHS and Labour survive another strike by resident doctors?
Good morning. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, working in the NHS have begun their five-day strike. At the heart of this dispute is the government's offer of a 5.4% pay increase this year, after a 22% rise over the previous two years. Ministers say this amounts to a total uplift of 28.9% over three years. But the offer has been met with anger from doctors, who argue that nearly two decades of pay restraint have eroded their salaries significantly in real terms. They are striking as part of their campaign for a 29% pay rise, to be delivered over several years. But Wes Streeting, the health secretary, denounced the move as 'completely unreasonable', stating that 'no trade union in British history has seen its members receive a 28.9% pay rise only to immediately respond with strikes'. He argued that a strike by resident doctors 'enormously undermines the entire trade union movement', urging them not to join industrial action this morning. The two sides have become deeply entrenched in their positions and are further apart than ever. To understand the ins and outs of this dispute, the political consequences it could have, and whether there is an off-ramp, I spoke to Denis Campbell, the Guardian's health policy editor. That's after the headlines. Gaza | The head of the main UN agency serving Palestinians has said his frontline staff are fainting from hunger, as the number of people dying of starvation in Gaza continued to rise and hopes for a ceasefire faded as negotiations collapsed. UK | A man was found guilty of murdering his two-week-old son in a Somerset baby unit, causing skull and neck injuries while nurses worked nearby. South-east Asia | Thailand evacuated more than 100,000 people along the Cambodian border as the two countries fought for a second day in their bloodiest military clashes in over a decade, with 14 dead as of Friday. UK politics | Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he is setting up a new political party with ex-Labour MP, Zarah Sultana, to 'take on the rich and powerful'. Russia | A Soviet-era passenger plane has crashed in Russia's far-east, killing all 48 people on board. When Labour entered government there was a brief period of calm after years of turbulence between NHS doctors and the Conservatives. 'When Wes Streeting became the health secretary in July of last year he inherited a really long-running, messy, difficult, protracted dispute involving resident doctors,' Denis Campbell told me. 'In simple terms, resident doctors in England who belonged to the British Medical Association (BMA) had been seeking for some time a pay rise of 35%. They wanted that sum over a number of years to make up for the significant erosion in the real-terms value of their pay that they had seen since 2008-2009. In pursuit of that goal, they had gone on strike 11 different times, totalling 44 days, under the previous Conservative governments.' Combined with action by other NHS staff, these walkouts forced the cancellation of about 1.5m appointments and cost the health service an estimated £1.5bn. 'Streeting said resolving the dispute was going to be his first priority as health secretary, and he was as good as his word. He met the junior doctors' committee of the BMA right away after stepping into office, and a few weeks later they seemed to have resolved things by giving them a pay rise of about 22% spread over two years,' Denis. That pay rise was backed by a large majority of resident doctors, and for a time it seemed the dispute was over. Until now. What's at the heart of this dispute? According to the BMA, resident doctors have seen the real value of their pay fall by nearly 21% over the past 17 years. This is the equivalent, they say, of working one day in every five for free (there is some dispute over these calculations). The resident doctors' committee of the BMA is now seeking a further 29% pay rise over several years. Supporters of the strike argue that resident doctors are not just asking for more money but highlighting a system on the brink. Many say they are overworked, underpaid, and increasingly unable to deliver the level of care patients need. For them, this dispute is about valuing the people who hold the NHS together day in, day out, often under immense pressure Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chair of the BMA resident doctors' committee, tweeted that a new doctor starts on £17.60 an hour: 'Name one other profession that gets paid less than their assistants. That is how far doctor pay has eroded.' While these figures are contested, Denis points out that the basic starting salary for a resident doctor is £38,831. On top of that, they typically earn about 15% more for working antisocial hours, including nights and weekends. The best-paid resident doctors this year will earn a basic salary of about £74,000. 'This is important for people to understand this dispute. The union now believes that all doctors deserve to have the pay they have lost since 2008 restored. They are unshakeable and unwavering and determined in their beliefs that they are going to get that sum of money: starting with resident doctors and potentially extending to all other groups of doctors such as consultants,' Denis said. How has the government responded? There have been talks between the union and government ministers, but no breakthrough yet. A major sticking point has been that Streeting says this year's pay deal of 5.4% for 2025–26 is final. 'Streeting has said this is completely unaffordable and completely unreasonable. Talks have failed to bridge the gap and, as a result, anything up to about 55,000 resident doctors in England are legally entitled to go on strike from Friday onwards for up to six months,' Denis said. 'Streeting said there's no money to reopen negotiations. There have been discussions about whether some kind of student loan forgiveness or debt relief might be offered. Resident doctors' loans can be up to £100,000. Streeting has also floated the idea of less generous pensions in exchange for higher pay now. But none of these ideas have really got anywhere.' The trouble, he added, is that while Streeting is only willing to talk to doctors about other issues, such as their working conditions, access to hot food, issues around leave, and training places, the BMA is absolutely focused on full pay restoration. 'So there's very little common ground: one side says they won't talk about pay, the other says they'll only talk about pay. It's hard to see how, after the disruption these strikes will cause, this dispute is going to be resolved,' Denis said. 'The two sides are just too far apart.' What has the response been within and outside the NHS? Denis canvassed views among senior doctors and hospital bosses last week to gauge the mood about this strike. The response was overwhelming and conclusive: they were against it. 'The consensus was that the resident doctors were being greedy, out of touch, and failing to read the room. They say the public finances are strained, and that over the last few years at least, these doctors have had good pay rises relative to other public sector workers. No other trade union is seeking anything like these sums. And no other union has a goal of full restoration,' Denis said. Resident doctors have historically had significant public support, even when they were striking again and again. 'You had 55-65% of the public still seeming to be on the side of the doctors. People believed they deserved a hefty pay rise,' Denis said. But that support has soured. Recent polling shows that previously strong approval by voters for strikes by resident doctors has dramatically reduced to just 26%. 'So they seem to have really lost the public support that they enjoyed. Even previously when they were taking the strike action, while they were being vilified and castigated, the public seemed to get it … that these doctors are the workhorse of the NHS, covering weekends and overnight shifts that consultants don't want to or don't have to do any more. 'I think the public view now seems to be that the resident doctors are being unreasonable,' Denis said. What are the political ramifications? This is a particularly significant moment for the Labour government because of its central NHS pledge is to bring down hospital waiting times to 18 weeks, Denis said. 'We hear every week about the NHS backlog, which is currently around 7.4m operations and treatments. The government has made some modest progress – getting it down from 7.6m to 7.4m, but these strikes could wreck that limited progress. This key NHS pledge could become unattainable.' It's why Streeting has described these strikes as 'a gift to Nigel Farage'. He told a meeting of Labour MPs that ministers were 'in the fight for the survival of the NHS' and if Labour failed, Farage would argue for it to be replaced by an insurance-style system. But resident doctors see their fight for fair pay as a fight for the soul of the NHS, citing widespread burnout among colleagues and a growing exodus from the health service. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Denis added: 'The two sides seem very far apart on the fundamentals. I would really worry that we're back into a groundhog day situation, with strikes by younger doctors that occur so regularly and for such prolonged times as we saw under the last government are back to haunt this one.' The great actor, playwright, LGBTQ+ activist and now quilter Harvey Feinstein does not mince his words – especially on the subject of one of Donald Trump's enablers, Ric Grenell, now boss of the Kennedy Center. 'He proudly says, 'I am a gay, married man.' Who got you those rights, you lowlife little creep?' Alex Needham, acting head of newsletters This Guardian editorial warning that time is running out to stop a genocide in Gaza feels like an important moment for the British press. Aamna If you've got a long journey with kids ahead of you this summer, then waste no time in clicking on this piece from the Filter. Twenty tips to make family journeys go more smoothly. Public service journalism at its finest. 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Rugby | Garry Ringrose has self-reported concussion symptoms, which has forced the British and Irish Lions head coach, Andy Farrell, into a last-minute reshuffle ahead of Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies. The Guardian again leads on the Palestinians' plight: 'Let aid in, pleads UN chief, as even his staff faint from hunger in Gaza'. 'Britain must do more' says the Mirror and the Labour MP Emily Thornberry is the face of that statement. The i paper has 'UK ready to recognise Palestinian state in peace deal'. 'Farms close at record rate after IHT raid' is the claim in the Telegraph. The Express has 'Doctors' 5-day strike is a 'threat to lives'' and the Times goes in that direction as well: 'PM: Strikes pose threat to NHS as we know it'. 'I won't cave in to militant doctors' the health secretary is credited with saying on the Mail's front. The Metro pens a letter to the England women's coach, Sarina Wiegman, and says 'Good luck, let's go!'. The Financial Times splashes on 'Tesla shares tumble after Musk warns Trump's anti-EV agenda will hit profit'. Our critics' roundup of the best things to watch, read, play and listen to right now TVWashington Black | ★★★☆☆ Atrocious dialogue, ludicrous plot, nausea-inducing love scenes: this adaptation of Esi Edugyan's novel about the era of transatlantic slavery is highly wobbly. But the stunning scenery of Nova Scotia, strong performances – especially from Sterling K Brown – and world-building make it highly watchable. Hannah J Davies Film Gazer | ★★★★☆A paranoid noir chiller shot on 16mm in Jersey City, Gazer is a fascinatingly uneasy debut from Ryan J Sloan. Co-writer Ariella Mastroianni stars as Frankie, a woman with a neurodegenerative condition who can't judge the passing of time and finds herself caught in a disturbing plot involving a stranger's plea for help. 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'When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don't see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,' he said. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Why doctors are striking … again
When Labour came into power they agreed to give resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, a 22% rise over two years to end their strikes. They then turned their attention to updating the NHS, unveiling an ambitious 10-year plan to change the way the system is run. But now doctors have gone back to the ballot box. The Guardian's health policy editor, Denis Campbell, tells Helen Pidd that the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union, says the value of their salaries has dropped 29% since 2008 thanks to inflation and serial low pay rises. They want this restored. But with public finances more stretched than ever, Wes Streeting is unlikely to accede. Denis explains why the BMA is saying this pay rise is 'non-negotiable', and also why it looks as if the resident doctors are losing public support. And even the support of their senior colleagues. What could this clash mean for Labour, trust in doctors – and patients?
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Let overseas-trained dentists get to work
Thank you, Denis Campbell, for highlighting the distressing plight of many overseas-trained dentists in this country (Overseas-trained dentists working in McDonald's as millions lack NHS care, 18 June). Brilliant dental specialists are being treated appallingly, repeatedly rejected in their attempts to book the overseas registration exam, which they could pass with ease if they could only manage to sit it. For dentists longing to work in the NHS but who are having to take up low-paid jobs, this is a form of mental torture. Meanwhile, people are unable to get dental care on the NHS. Where's the sense in this? Jenny Bradley Cirencester, Gloucestershire I note that a government spokesperson has responded to an inquiry about dentists by boasting about 'the upcoming 10-year health plan'. This seems to suggest that the plan is not yet in place and that any concrete improvements will take more than a few years. Another case of be patient, there will be jam tomorrow. But tomorrow never comes (especially relating to the government's 10-year plans). Simon Lauris Hudson Pontefract, West Yorkshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
