Latest news with #WesStreeting
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- Health
- BBC News
NHS strike: Anger and fear for patients as strike delays operations
The resident doctors strike in England has begun after a dispute over pay between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA). Thousands of doctors are walking out over five days, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting insisting that disruption will be kept to a minimum. But several NHS patients have told the BBC they fear their conditions could become worse after delays to scheduled procedures, while some have also expressed sympathy over the concerns the doctors are raising. Peter Plant, 58, of Tamworth, who has kidney cancer, said his surgery to remove the organ on Friday was cancelled on Thursday morning. The operation has been rescheduled for 20 August, but he fears the delay could be a "death sentence"."Resident doctors do not care that delaying operations like mine are very likely a death sentence," he said."I'm absolutely angry and frustrated. It is not just about me, it's about our whole family."You try and gear yourself up for it and then it's utter deflation."Mr Plant said he and his family had been living in "limbo" and that he felt "utterly lost". "Wes Streeting says he has told hospitals to carry on as normal and they're clearly not," he figures have not yet been released on the impact of the strike. Some hospitals are reporting more than 80% of their non-urgent work is still being carried walkouts have led to mass cancellations of operations, appointments and treatments: more than one million were cancelled during resident doctor strikes in March 2023 and routine care was cut by half at some hospitals. Repeated delays to surgery Sarah, a patient from the north-west of England, said she was due to have a hysterectomy - an operation to remove her uterus - on Monday but it had been cancelled for a second time. "They don't have a rescheduled date for me at this time," she said. "It's very hard when you have been mentally preparing yourself for major surgery, especially as I was first told that I needed one in November 2024."Andrew Mundy, 58, from Lincoln, expressed fears that repeated delays to his tendon surgery could leave him permanently injured his knee in early February and was given an initial date for surgery at the end of May, which he said was cancelled because the consultant was on surgery was rearranged for Friday but was cancelled because of the strike, he said."I am furious and aware that every delay in surgery will make the chances of a successful repair even less likely," he said."It is not fair that I may never recover from this injury due to delays in treatment."It's frustrating because [the NHS] say that they are not cancelling stuff and things are running as normal, but they are cancelling stuff."Claudia, 44, from Maidstone, said she had been waiting for more than a year to have her gallbladder removed. Her operation has also been cancelled."Now I've been told I need another assessment, and the next appointment isn't until next month."Meanwhile, I'm still on daily medication to manage constant pain and symptoms."I've had to stick to a strict diet just to avoid flare-ups and have lost 15kg because of it."This is beyond frustrating. How can something marked as urgent be delayed for so long? I feel completely ignored. "People shouldn't be left to suffer like this while stuck in the system." Michael Overson, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, has been waiting three years for a knee operation and found out on Friday his surgery, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, had been Overson is a delivery driver for a national supermarket chain and says the delay means he will have to "continue living and working in pain". "This places me in limbo as I have no idea when it'll be rearranged. I can't plan anything," he said."The increased costs the strikes cause only causes greater harm to the NHS."Dr Tom Dolphin, the chairman of the BMA, said before the action began that "we are very sorry that strikes have become necessary"."Of course if people have emergencies or need urgent care they should still present to the hospital or their GP as usual, as they always would," he said."Striking is something that doctors don't want to have to do."
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
More pressure on Wes Streeting as nurses and ambulance workers reject pay deal amid militant doctors' strikes
Nurses and ambulance staff have ramped up the pressure on Health Secretary Wes Streeting by rejecting his offer of a 3.6 per cent pay rise. Members of the GMB union voted by a majority of more than two thirds (67 per cent) to go back to the negotiating table. The union has now written to the Secretary of State demanding an 'urgent meeting' to discuss pay and 'other issues of significant importance' to its NHS members. GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison said: 'We await his reply with interest.' AGMB spokesman said the chances of more strike action were 'very limited' because 'the appetite isn't there', but added: 'Workers are unhappy, which is why they have rejected this offer.' The GMB represents around 50,000 ambulance workers and 30,000 nurses, midwives and other NHS staff. It comes as 50,000 resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - started a five-day walkout over pay. One defied militant union bosses by crossing the picket line and reporting for duty, warning strikes may destroy vital public trust in the NHS. Dr Adam Boggon broke ranks with striking colleagues and claimed the BMA was 'not necessarily in the same place as much of the profession'. The psychiatrist at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London, said he was 'alarmed' that the BMA was willing to lose public support in pursuit of an inflation-busting 29 per cent pay rise. 'I am not willing to pay that price,' he told Times Radio. 'The relationship between the doctor and the patient is based on trust and confidence. If we do damage to that basic relationship, that's bad for everyone.' He added: 'My education was funded by the taxpayer. Negotiation isn't about making unilateral demands and then walking away, or badmouthing a whole profession either. 'I think that both of these protagonists - the union and Mr Streeting - can do a lot better than they are at the moment.' The BMA revealed it had told three members to skip the strike and return to work this weekend for patient safety - a trainee paediatrician on the neonatal intensive care unit at Nottingham City Hospital and two anaesthetists at University Hospital Lewisham in south London. Dr Melissa Ryan, who is leading the BMA strike alongside Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, joined a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster, London. She told members: 'We have a government that wants to divide us, but we are stronger than that. 'I encourage you to hold the line, strike hard, and wait for the government to come back and make the next move with a credible offer.' Striking doctors waved banners including 'Do no harm - except to our bank balances!' and 'Why is my assistant paid more than me?' Dr Emre Karaduman, 27, who works at Ealing Hospital, west London, said: 'Our pay has been degraded since 2008. I know there was a financial crisis, but doctors shouldn't have to pay the price for that. 'If Wes Streeting wants us to help cut the patient waiting list, he needs to give us full pay restoration.' One doctor from Chelsea and Westminster hospital, who gave her name as Naiha, 25, accused Mr Streeting of 'guilt tripping' doctors by claiming lives would be put at risk – and rejected comparisons between doctors and other public officials who have not received such large pay rises. 'It's pointless trying to compare doctors to other professions,' she said. 'If people in other sectors feel hard done by, I would urge them to strike as well. I think everyone deserves to be paid a living wage, and right now ours barely scratches the surface.' Another who gave his name as Joe, 26, added: 'Medicine is an incredibly important career. We go through a massive amount of training and take on a lot of risk and responsibility that people in other sectors don't. But I've got a friend in finance whose bonus last year was more than double my salary.' Mr Streeting condemned the strike as 'reckless, unnecessary and unreasonable', as resident doctors have already received inflation-busting pay rises totalling 28.9 per cent over three years. 'A 28.9 per cent pay rise and a government that was willing to work with them are not grounds for strike action,' he said. 'This government will not allow the BMA to hold the country to ransom. 'We are doing everything we can to minimise the risk to patients, but I want to be honest with people - what we can't do is eliminate disruption or risk. 'However much the BMA try and sugar-coat it, what they are fundamentally doing today is forgetting the three words that should be at the forefront of every doctor's mind every day: Do No Harm.' He added an 'amazing mobilisation' by other NHS staff, including senior doctors cancelling annual leave, had helped 'keep the show on the road'. 'We are also seeing lots of resident doctors turning up to work today, ignoring their union because they want to be there for patients too,' he said. 'This is going to be a disruptive five days, but I am extremely grateful to NHS staff and leaders who are working their socks off to minimise the disruption.' Some elective procedures will have to be cancelled or delayed due to the strikes, extending waiting lists. The BMA has suggested this is no great hardship, but Mr Streeting said patients who have been waiting a long time for such procedures 'do come to harm'. BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin told the Today programme it was 'very disappointing to see a Labour Government taking such a hard line against trade unions'. Resident doctors are qualified doctors in clinical training. They have completed a medical degree and can have up to nine years of working experience as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to five years of working and gaining experience to become a GP. On Friday, NHS chief executive Jim Mackey said he hoped the BMA would come back to the negotiating table. 'I would hope that after this, we will be able to get people in a room and resolve the issue,' he said. 'We could be doing this once a month for the next six months, so we've got to organise ourselves accordingly.'
Miami Herald
41 minutes ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Resident doctors in England's National Health Service go on strike
July 25 (UPI) -- Thousands of National Health Service resident doctors in England walked out Friday at the start of a five-day strike in a dispute with the government over pay. The British Medical Association, the doctors' union, said in a post on X that the strike could have been avoided if Health Secretary Wes Streeting had put forward a "credible offer" to address a one-fifth real-terms drop in their pay since 2008. The 190,000-member union pointed to the inequity that after seven years of study and training, doctors in their first year as a fully qualified resident were paid more than $7 an hour less than a physician assistant in their first year. "This is why resident doctors in England are taking a stand against the government -- it's time to pay us what we're worth," said the BMA, adding that it was seeking a raise of just $5.39 a hour to $30.45. The union called on doctors to join picket lines outside designated large hospitals in London and seven other regions of England as the strike got underway at 7 a.m. local time, three days after negotiations with the government collapsed. Streeting and Prime Minister Keir Starmer appealed to the doctors not to take industrial action due to the damage it would inflict on the NHS, which the Labour government had been working hard to rebuild since coming into office in summer 2024. In a video posted on X, Streeting warned that striking doctors would make the working conditions of their colleagues who remained at their posts much more difficult, expressing "incredible frustration" over the action despite significant pay hikes over the past year. "These strikes were unnecessary because resident doctors have already had a 28.9% pay increase since this government came to office. They've had the highest pay increase of the entire public sector two years in a row," said Streeting. He said the action was also unnecessary as he had been asking for the union to postpone for just three weeks to allow time to put together a package that would have made "a real difference to resident doctors' working lives" by addressing training costs and other associated costs, as well as career progression issues. Streeting vowed the impact on patients would be kept to a minimum, with NHS leaders ordering hospitals not to cancel non-emergency appointments and surgeries, with senior doctors stepping in to cover for their striking colleagues. "Resident doctors should break ranks with the BMA leadership. The industrial action that starts on Friday is in no one's interests and medics should not follow their union down its dangerous and destructive route, Starmer wrote in The Times. The NHS leaders' organization, the NHS Confederation, laid blame for "the impact of strikes and the distress they will cause patients" squarely at the feet of the BMA. However, the Conservative opposition's shadow health secretary, Stuart Andrew, said it was the government's fault and that it had put patients in danger. "Labour's capitulation to union demands has fuelled this chaos. The real tragedy is not just the political cowardice that invited this chaos but the disruption of care patients face. It's a threat to lives," he wrote on social media. The industrial action, the 12th round of strikes, is part of a long-running dispute over pay dating back to 2023 with doctors in the early years of their careers claiming inflation over the past 17 years has eroded away their pay, leaving them 20% worse off. Inheriting the dispute from the previous Conservative government in July 2024, Labour gave doctors an immediate 22% raise, followed by an average of 5.4% for this year. NHS doctors' base salary is relatively low to start but rapidly rises to more than $100,000 a year, and can go much higher. "Resident doctors are not worth less than they were 17 years ago. Restoring pay remains the simplest and most effective route toward improving our working lives," BMA resident doctor co-leaders Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt told the BBC. "Mr. Streeting had every opportunity to prevent this strike going ahead, but he chose not to take it." Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ITV News
2 hours ago
- Health
- ITV News
Nottingham City Hospital's striking doctor can be 'called off' picket line to treat sick babies
A striking doctor will be called off the picket line to treat sick babies at Nottingham City Hospital, after an agreement was reached with the union. The British Medical Association (BMA) has agreed an exemption with the hospital regarding the neonatal intensive care unit. A five-day walkout by resident doctors, formerly junior doctors, in England began on Friday, with members of the BMA at picket lines across the country. The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. The union took out national newspaper adverts on Friday, saying it wanted to 'make clear that while a newly qualified doctor's assistant is taking home over £24 per hour, a newly qualified doctor with years of medical school experience is on just £18.62 per hour'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned the walkout, branding it "reckless" and "irresponsible", and said the government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'. He insisted the government is doing everything it can to minimise patient harm as thousands of doctors go on strike over pay. Following concerns over the safety and care of very sick babies in Nottingham City Hospital, an agreement has been reached allowing a resident doctor to leave the picket if they are called. In a statement on social media, the BMA said: "We have agreed a derogation at City Hospital, Nottingham for one resident doctor to support NICU on Saturday and Sunday. "If contacted we advise resident doctors to return to work. Thank you for your support for taking industrial action." ITV News Central has approached Nottingham University Hospitals Trust for a response. The trust is currently at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS, with over 2,500 cases of neonatal deaths being examined by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. It's also being investigated by Nottinghamshire Police for potential offences of corporate manslaughter, following the deaths and serious injuries related to maternity care. Following the announcement of a criminal investigation, Nick Carver, Chair at NUH and Anthony May, Chief Executive, put out a joint statement. It said: "It is absolutely right that we take organisational accountability where we have failed women, families and babies. "We are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering caused. We know that for many families this harm and suffering will be lifelong. "Since joining the Board, we have emphasised the importance of openness, transparency and accountability in our leadership and decision-making. We recognise that there is more to do. "We are fully committed to the ongoing police investigation and the Independent Review of Maternity Services, led by Donna Ockenden. "We would like to reassure the public that we are determined to improve our maternity services. 'We know how important the police investigation and independent review are for the affected families, the Trust and our local communities. We hope that affected families receive the answers that they deserve.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Yorkshire doctors join national five-day strike
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, across Yorkshire are taking part in a national five-day strike after the government failed to agree a pay deal with their of the British Medical Association (BMA), who work in hospitals across the region, joined others across England in the walkout, which began at 07:00 BST on leader Dr Tom Dolphin said: "We are very sorry that strikes have become necessary."Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he did not believe the BMA had "engaged with me in good faith" over bids to avert the strike. This year resident doctors are getting an average pay rise of 5.4%, following a 22% increase over the previous two the BMA said wages were still around 20% lower in real terms than in 2008, even after an increase in August. 'My heart is always at work' Speaking from the picket line outside Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), Cristina Costache, who is a paediatrics registrar at LGI and a PhD student, said the walkout had been "a lot better supported than I thought it would be - it's actually really well supported".However, Dr Costache said striking had been a "very difficult decision to make".She said: "I get depressed if I'm not in work. My heart is always at work. "But I also care about my colleagues and my profession, and what we're really feeling is the gaps."There's always a gap on the paediatric registrar rota. We end up having to cover the job of another paediatric registrar, of even two other paediatric registrars."We have fewer people working and lots of people leaving the profession, that's the knock-on effect on the patient eventually."Dr Costache said she left Romania due to the poor health infrastructure and lack of said: "It's really sad to have seen in the last nine years how the NHS is heading that way."Hence I'm a trade unionist because I feel like I want to tell people, please don't do what has happened there." 'A last resort' Dr Stella Chatzieleftheriou, a UK resident doctors committee representative from Sheffield, said she was worried about the "sustainability" of the medical workforce at the current wages."I've seen dozens of colleagues leave the country and relocate to New Zealand and Australia and they don't have any plans to return," she said."The only way to retain the doctors we have already, and hopefully bring some back, is to offer a pay that is close to comparable."Dr Chatzieleftheriou said strike action had been a "last resort".The strike's core, she said, was a "concern for long-term patient safety if we can't keep the workforce we have and bring back doctors that we have lost over the years".She concluded: "Ultimately you need a well-paid, motivated and happy work force."That, in the long term, will improve outcomes for patient care." 'Emergency departments open' In West Yorkshire, hospitals prepared for the strike by altering rotas and, in some cases, postponing Evans, deputy chief executive at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals, said: "We have only stood down a very small amount of activity, so if you haven't been contacted that planned care will continue."He added: "Emergency departments are still open, so those that need urgent care please do attend where that's required." 'Nothing else will work' A number of people in Sheffield gave their opinion on the strike to the firefighter Darren Higgins, 58, said striking doctors were "doing the right thing".He said: "It's something that they've got to do to get the pay rise that they're after."Nothing else will work. "Being an ex-firefighter for 30 years, I've been involved in strikes, it's the only way that the government will listen."However, he said he thought the rise asked for was too much."I do think what they're asking for is a bit excessive. I think they need to go in with a lower percentage. "I mean 22% over two years is a good raise. But for the job that they do I think it is a fair percentage." 'Patient safety at risk' Psychology student Freya Wallace, 20, said she agreed doctors deserved to be paid said: "I think it's fair that they should get more pay. If that's what they've got to do to get the money that they deserve, then I think that's fair enough."She said: "If it was any other profession, people would have no problem with it."However, she said the strike would "absolutely put patient safety at risk". "But I think people get better treatment when doctors are less overworked and better paid," she said."So I think in the long term it would really benefit patients." 'It's totally wrong' Jan Palmer, 62, from Wakefield, said she had recently been diagnosed with cancer and worried the strike would affect the speed of her described the strike as "totally wrong"."I've just had a conversation with a person who's had a serious motorbike accident," she said."He should have been seen tomorrow and his next appointment now is September."I just don't understand how they can leave people like that."She added: "I've just found out I have breast cancer, I've been seen within four weeks."I've got to have surgery. I'm only hoping now that this won't affect my surgery."And I do feel sorry for them, the nurses as well, but there's only so much we've got in the pot." Streeting said the NHS would face a challenging few days during the doctors' strike as it strived to keep as many services as possible after the walkout began he said it was not possible to eliminate disruption, but it was "being kept to a minimum". Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
