Latest news with #MatthewTaylor
Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Times
BMA members could triple their pay covering doctors' strikes
Doctors who are members of the British Medical Association will be able to triple their salary by covering for junior colleagues during industrial action, NHS leaders have said. Up to 50,000 resident doctors, who were previously known as junior doctors, are poised to begin a five-day walkout from 7am on Friday, which is expected to lead to the cancellation of 100,000 appointments. If the walkout goes ahead, senior colleagues will fill in for them and be able to request premium rates of pay. In previous strikes consultants have been paid as much as £3,000 to cover a single 12-and-a-half-hour night shift. Matthew Taylor, the head of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, said that the strikes would increase the risk of 'severe harm' to patients. He said: 'It is hard for the public to understand when, in terms of the BMA, some members are going on strike, while others — consultants — are asking for three times more than their usual salary in order to cover for that strike action. 'I do worry that public sympathy will be stretched. NHS trade unions have tended to have high levels of support when they take action. I think the indications are that the public do not feel the same level of sympathy. Particular elements of this, like those providing cover, being able to ask for a lot more money, have an impact on trust.' Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is expected to hold talks with the BMA on Tuesday, and there are hopes in the government of a breakthrough. They last met on Thursday with both sides describing the discussions as constructive. • Five deaths linked to disruption from last junior doctors' strikes Streeting has made clear that he 'cannot move' on headline pay for resident doctors, who are pushing for a 29 per cent pay rise. However, several other issues are up for negotiation, including the possibility of writing off student loans if medical graduates keep working in the NHS for a certain number of years. Younger doctors can graduate from five years of medical school with £100,000 in debt, which could be reduced over time under a 'loan forgiveness' scheme. Other possible reforms include cutting doctors' pensions to give them 'higher pay today', subsidising fees for exams and speeding up career progression so they earn more at a younger age. Taylor said that the strikes could mean 100,000 operations being cancelled. 'Some people who have been waiting many months in pain are going to have to wait longer because consultants who would have been holding clinics or doing operations will instead need to be on wards or in A&E,' he said. • NHS put up with harm of last strikes, says boss — but not any more He said that the increased pressure on hospitals meant increased risk for patients. 'When appointments don't take place, when there is more pressure on hospitals, there is a risk of severe harm to people because services are overstretched.' He also said that there were financial consequences. 'If already hard-pressed [hospital] trusts are not able to undertake activity they don't get the money for that activity,' he said. The Centre for Economics and Business Research, an economic think tank, has suggested that the industrial action could cost Britain £64 million. Dr Tom Dolphin, chairman of the BMA council, said: 'Senior doctors keep urgent services running safely during strikes by resident doctors, but this is work over and above their regular contracted work. The rates of pay for all extra-contractual work are not unique to covering strike days, and year-round trusts are having to pay overtime rates and expensive agency fees to cover rota gaps, not just on strike days. 'This is due to repeated failures by governments to fix the staffing crisis in the NHS.' Dolphin added: 'The BMA firmly believes that any harm arising from failure to plan appropriately for reduced staffing levels on strike days is the responsibility of senior directors at a hospital.' The industrial action poses a significant threat to Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to cut NHS waiting lists. Internal NHS modelling already suggests that the government is unlikely to hit the target by the end of this parliament. A YouGov survey for The Times has found that 36 per cent of the public supported further industrial action by junior doctors, while 49 per cent opposed it. When doctors last went on strike, just before last year's general election, YouGov found it was supported by 59 per cent of the public and opposed by 36 per cent.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jefferies Reiterates a Buy Rating on LivaNova PLC (LIVN) With a $79 PT
LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN) is one of the best undervalued medical device stocks to buy now. On June 6, Jefferies analyst Matthew Taylor maintained a Buy rating on LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN) and set a price target of $79.00. The analyst based the rating on the company's strong growth potential, stating that it is undergoing a solid product cycle, especially with the Essenz upgrade. A close-up of a medical device used for therapeutic solutions in a world-class hospital. Taylor anticipates the upgrade to bring a considerable revenue boost through a rise in average selling prices as the replacement cycle progresses. Another factor highlighting the company's competitive edge is its expansion in the oxygenator market, with expanding production capacity and a growing market share. The analyst also reasoned that LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN) has a strategic focus on internal execution for the commercialization of its Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) solutions and reported promising data from its Depression Treatment Device (DTD) pipeline, factors that further support the optimistic rating. LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN) is a global medical technology company that develops and delivers therapeutic solutions to benefit healthcare systems, patients, and healthcare professionals. The company's operations are divided into Cardiopulmonary, Neuromodulation, and Advanced Circulatory Support segments. While we acknowledge the potential of LIVN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Postal carrier explains why you may see a dryer sheet in your mailbox
LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — Matthew Taylor is a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Longmont. He says this time of year, wasps like to build their nests in the large cluster mailbox units, and they can surprise mail carriers. 'I've gotten stung quite a few times. You make the best of the situation. Sometimes it really, really hurts, but the mail has got to get delivered,' Taylor said. FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar He and the other mail carriers have an interesting way of protecting themselves. They will place dryer sheets in the mailboxes, hoping the wasps don't like the smell and will stay away. 'It is the scent. It makes it seem like that is not an area where they would want to build a nest, and it chases them away, but it doesn't harm them in any shape or form,' Taylor said. USPS set up a summer safety station and the post office in Longmont, highlighting some of the things carriers should be aware of, like dogs, hydration, sunscreen and, of course, insect stings. Dryer sheets and insect bite relief sticks are made available to employees, and carriers who are allergic may carry EpiPens. The dryer sheets may be a strange sight to some residents, but Taylor says they help, and he hopes residents will not remove them. Plus, he says, things could be worse. 'In other states like Arizona, New Mexico, they get to deal with scorpions and snakes, things like that, and I think I'll stick with the wasps,' he joked. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sky News
28-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Hundreds of NHS quangos to be axed - as plans unveiled for health funding to be linked to patient feedback
NHS funding could be linked to patient feedback under new plans, with poorly performing services that "don't listen" penalised with less money. As part of the "10 Year Health Plan" to be unveiled next week, a new scheme will be trialled that will see patients asked to rate the service they received - and if they feel it should get a funding boost or not. It will be introduced first for services that have a track record of very poor performance and where there is evidence of patients "not being listened to", the government said. This will create a "powerful incentive for services to listen to feedback and improve patients' experience", it added. Sky News understands that it will not mean bonuses or pay increases for the best performing staff. NHS payment mechanisms will also be reformed to reward services that keep patients out of hospital as part of a new 'Year of Care Payments' initiative and the government's wider plan for change. 2:04 Speaking to The Times, chief executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor expressed concerns about the trial. He told the newspaper: "Patient experience is determined by far more than their individual interaction with the clinician and so, unless this is very carefully designed and evaluated, there is a risk that providers could be penalised for more systemic issues, such as constraints around staffing or estates, that are beyond their immediate control to fix." He said that NHS leaders would be keen to "understand more about the proposal", because elements were "concerning". Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "We will reward great patient care, so patient experience and clinical excellence are met with extra cash. These reforms are key to keeping people healthy and out of hospital, and to making the NHS sustainable for the long-term as part of the Plan for Change." In the raft of announcements in the 10 Year Health Plan, the government has said 201 bodies responsible for overseeing and running parts of the NHS in England - known as quangos - will be scrapped. These include Healthwatch England, set up in 2012 to speak out on behalf of NHS and social care patients, the National Guardian's Office, created in 2015 to support NHS whistleblowers, and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). Royal College of Nursing General Secretary chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger described the move as "so unsafe for patients right now". "Today, in hospitals across the NHS, we know one nurse can be left caring for 10, 15 or more patients at a time. It's not safe. It's not effective. And it's not acceptable. "For these proposed changes to be effective government must take ownership of the real issue, the staffing crisis on our wards, and not just shuffle people into new roles. Protecting patients has to be the priority and not just a drive for efficiency." Elsewhere, the new head of NHS England Sir Jim Mackey said key parts of the NHS appear "built to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience". "We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it," he told the Daily Telegraph.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Plans unveiled for NHS funding to be linked to patient feedback
NHS funding could be linked to patient feedback under new plans, with poorly performing services that "don't listen" penalised with less money. As part of the "10 Year Health Plan" to be unveiled next week, a new scheme will be trialled that will see patients asked to rate the service they received - and if they feel it should get a funding boost or not. It will be introduced first for services that have a track record of very poor performance and where there is evidence of patients "not being listened to", the government said. This will create a "powerful incentive for services to listen to feedback and improve patients' experience", it added. Sky News understands that it will not mean bonuses or pay increases for the best performing staff. NHS payment mechanisms will also be reformed to reward services that keep patients out of hospital as part of a new 'Year of Care Payments' initiative and the government's wider plan for change. Speaking to The Times, chief executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor expressed concerns about the trial. He told the newspaper: "Patient experience is determined by far more than their individual interaction with the clinician and so, unless this is very carefully designed and evaluated, there is a risk that providers could be penalised for more systemic issues, such as constraints around staffing or estates, that are beyond their immediate control to fix." He said that NHS leaders would be keen to "understand more about the proposal", because elements were "concerning". Read more from Sky News Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "We will reward great patient care, so patient experience and clinical excellence are met with extra cash. These reforms are key to keeping people healthy and out of hospital, and to making the NHS sustainable for the long-term as part of the Plan for Change." In the raft of announcements in the 10 Year Health Plan, the government has said 201 bodies responsible for overseeing and running parts of the NHS in England will be scrapped. These include Healthwatch England, set up in 2012 to speak out on behalf of NHS and social care patients, the National Guardian's Office, created in 2015 to support NHS whistleblowers, and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). Elsewhere, the new head of NHS England Sir Jim Mackey said key parts of the NHS appear "built to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience". "We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it," he told the Daily Telegraph. "The ward clerk only works nine to five, or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scrambles every morning."
