Latest news with #nurses
France 24
2 hours ago
- Health
- France 24
Trump's tariffs deadline looms
Also, in Nigeria's capital Abuja, nurses have launched a seven-day strike over pay and working conditions, deepening the city's healthcare crisis. Talks with the government collapsed, prompting walkouts that have crippled hospitals. The strike follows a wave of unrest over rising living costs after President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms. While the government plans to meet union reps, frustration grows among patients and health workers alike. Finally, in the Central African Republic, crumbling infrastructure and soaring energy prices have sparked a surge in illegal electricity connections. A dangerous trend that has resulted in deadly fires and electrocutions. The latest catastrophe led to a stampede that claimed the lives of nearly 30 students. The stakes have never been higher.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
America on life support as 'ally' launches huge sabotage operation... and the results are terrifying
A so-called friendly neighbor is quietly siphoning off America's most essential workers — and experts warn it could deal a catastrophic blow to an already crumbling US healthcare system. Canada is aggressively poaching doctors, nurses and health professionals, offering simpler systems, universal care and a political climate many in the liberal-leaning field may prefer to life under President Donald Trump.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurses threaten industrial action ballot after pay offer rejected
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned its members will be balloted on industrial action if the Government fails to reach an agreement on investment in the profession over the summer. It comes after members of the union rejected a 3.6% pay increase for 2025/26 in England. Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, said nurses feel 'deeply undervalued'. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the Government 'hugely' values the work of nurses, but stressed the profession has had 'two above-inflation pay rises'. The RCN represents hundreds of thousands of nurses across the NHS in England. According to the union, 91% of members voted to reject the pay award on a 56% turnout, with more than 170,000 staff taking part. It warned the profession faces widespread vacancies, stunted career progression and years of pay erosion, and it urged ministers to use the summer to agree an investment plan or face a formal escalation to a dispute and a ballot on industrial action. Prof Ranger said: 'My profession feels deeply undervalued and that is why record numbers are telling the Government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what's right by them and by patients. 'Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS. 'As a safety-critical profession, keeping hold of experienced nursing staff is fundamentally a safety issue and key to the Government's own vision for the NHS. 'Long-overdue reforms to nursing career progression and the NHS pay structure aren't just about fairness and equity but are critical for patient safety.' Nurses in Wales and Northern Ireland were consulted on the same pay award and voted to reject it, according to the RCN. Prof Ranger added: 'We deliver the vast majority of care in every service and deserve to be valued for all our skill, knowledge and experience. 'To avoid formal escalation, the Government must be true to its word and negotiate on reforms of the outdated pay structure which traps nursing staff at the same band their entire career.' A DHSC spokesperson said: 'After receiving two above-inflation pay rises from this Government, new full-time nurses will earn £30,000 in basic pay for the first time this year, so it's disappointing that RCN members are dissatisfied with this year's pay rise. 'We hugely value the work of nurses, and through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patients and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice. 'This Government is clear we can't move any further on headline pay but will work with the RCN to improve their major concerns, including pay structure reform, concerns on career progression and wider working conditions.' Nurses staged unprecedented industrial action over pay in 2022 and 2023. In June 2023, the threat of more strikes ended because a ballot on further walkouts failed to meet the legal threshold of 50%. An RCN executive director claimed nursing salaries need to be 'raised at the bottom' with clearer career progression opportunities to head off a 'crisis'. Patricia Marquis told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: 'Nursing pay has fallen further and further behind after years and years of below-inflation pay rises. 'We could argue about the level of inflation over the last few years, but their salaries are really worth less than they were previously. 'But the issue is bigger than that. The issue we can see is not going to be solved in one year with a simple percentage pay rise. 'We need to see nursing salaries raised at the bottom and the career progression recognised for nurses across all of their experience ranges – so it's not about the percentage pay rise, it's about the crisis in nursing and the solutions that the Government needs to come to the table to discuss to ensure that nursing is a profession that people want to join and that there are enough nurses to provide the care that the patients and the public need.' Responding to a question on the prospect of industrial action, Ms Marquis said 'if we have to go there, we will have to go there'. A poll published earlier this week found Britons are split on the idea of nurses striking over pay. The YouGov survey found 19% of 4,300 British adults 'strongly support' nurses going on strike, while 28% 'somewhat' back them. Meanwhile 23% said they 'strongly oppose' strike action while one in five (20%) 'somewhat oppose' it. The RCN warning over a potential ballot for industrial action follows a five-day walkout by resident doctors in England, with medics returning to work at 7am on Wednesday. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since written to the British Medical Association saying he is willing to meet the union's resident doctors committee to resume talks. However, he warned resident doctors have squandered the 'considerable goodwill' they had with Government after the strike. On Thursday, a Cabinet minister urged health staff to work with the Government on 'delivering the NHS they want to see and we want to see'. Speaking to reporters in Swindon, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'We know the workforce of the NHS had a difficult decade-and-a-half. We know how they feel. 'But we ask them to work with us on delivering the NHS they want to see and we want to see. We've got to be partners with each other.'
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Nurses threaten industrial action ballot after pay offer rejected
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that its members will be balloted on industrial action if the Government fails to reach an agreement on investment in the profession over the summer. It comes after members of the union rejected a 3.6% pay increase for 2025/26 in England. Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, said nurses feel 'deeply undervalued'. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the Government 'hugely' values the work of nurses, but stressed the profession has had 'two above-inflation pay rises'. The RCN represents hundreds of thousands of nurses across the NHS in England. According to the union, 91% of members voted to reject the pay award on a 56% turnout, with more than 170,000 staff taking part. It warned that the profession faces widespread vacancies, stunted career progression and years of pay erosion, and urged ministers to use the summer to agree an investment plan or face a formal escalation to a dispute and a ballot on industrial action. Prof Ranger said: 'My profession feels deeply undervalued and that is why record numbers are telling the Government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what's right by them and by patients. 'Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS. 'As a safety-critical profession, keeping hold of experienced nursing staff is fundamentally a safety issue and key to the Government's own vision for the NHS. 'Long-overdue reforms to nursing career progression and the NHS pay structure aren't just about fairness and equity but are critical for patient safety.' Nurses in Wales and Northern Ireland were consulted on the same pay award and voted to reject it, according to the RCN. Prof Ranger added: 'We deliver the vast majority of care in every service and deserve to be valued for all our skill, knowledge and experience. 'To avoid formal escalation, the Government must be true to its word and negotiate on reforms of the outdated pay structure which traps nursing staff at the same band their entire career.' A DHSC spokesperson said: 'After receiving two above-inflation pay rises from this Government, new full-time nurses will earn £30,000 in basic pay for the first time this year, so it's disappointing that RCN members are dissatisfied with this year's pay rise. 'We hugely value the work of nurses, and through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patients and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice. 'This Government is clear we can't move any further on headline pay but will work with the RCN to improve their major concerns, including pay structure reform, concerns on career progression and wider working conditions.' Nurses staged unprecedented industrial action over pay in 2022 and 2023. In June 2023, the threat of more strikes ended because a ballot on further walkouts failed to meet the legal threshold of 50%. A poll published earlier this week found that Britons are split on the idea of nurses striking over pay. The YouGov survey found that 19% of 4,300 British adults 'strongly support' nurses going on strike, while 28% 'somewhat' supported it. Meanwhile 23% said they 'strongly oppose' strike action while one in five (20%) 'somewhat oppose' it. The RCN warning over a potential ballot for industrial action follows a five-day walkout by resident doctors in England, with medics returning to work at 7am on Wednesday. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since written to the British Medical Association (BMA) saying he is willing to meet the union's resident doctors committee to resume talks. However, he warned that resident doctors have squandered the 'considerable goodwill' they had with Government after the strike.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Now nurses and GPs threaten to strike as NHS braces for winter chaos
NHS patients face months of winter strikes as nurses and GPs are the latest to threaten walkouts if their demands are not met. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned its members feel 'deeply undervalued' and will be balloted on industrial action if the government fails to reach an agreement on investment over the summer. It comes as GPs have also threatened to strike, warning minister Stephen Kinnock that the government must action its list of demands to 'avoid a future dispute'. GPs, represented by the British Medical Association, are also set to hold a meeting in September where they will decide on holding further ballots over strike action. Last year, GPs took part in 'collective action' over contract funding. The fresh threats come after a five-day walkout by resident doctors ended on Wednesday, following a dispute with the government over pay. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the government 'hugely' values the work of nurses, but stressed the profession has had 'two above-inflation pay rises'. On Wednesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting issued a warning to leaders at the British Medical Association (BMA), saying he is willing to resume talks in their ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions. But he warned: 'It should be clear to the BMA by now that it will lose a war with this government. It's not too late for us both to win the peace.' The RCN is now consulting members on potential action after the government gave the profession and other healthcare workers in England a 3.6 per cent pay increase for 2025-26. Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, said nurses feel 'deeply undervalued'. According to the union, 91 per cent of members voted to reject the pay award on a 56 per cent turnout, with more than 170,000 staff taking part. It warned that the profession faces widespread vacancies, stunted career progression and years of pay erosion, and urged ministers to use the summer to agree an investment plan or face a formal escalation to a dispute and a ballot on industrial action. Meanwhile, Unison, which represents healthcare workers such as ambulance staff and porters are currently consulting members on what if any action they want to take i response to the 3.6 per cent pay award. On Wednesday, The Independent reported vital cancer operations were cancelled due to the resident doctors' strikes. NHS England is due to publish data on exactly how many operations and appointments overall were cancelled this week. However, it is expected that fewer patients were affected compared with previous strikes after hospitals were ordered to press ahead with as much pre-planned care as possible during the walkout across England. In previous walkouts, the majority of non-urgent care was postponed. Nurses staged unprecedented industrial action over pay in 2022 and 2023. Announcing the results of the RCN's consultation, Professor Ranger said: 'My profession feels deeply undervalued and that is why record numbers are telling the government to wake up, sense the urgency here and do what's right by them and by patients. 'Record numbers have delivered this verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers and hampers the NHS. 'As a safety-critical profession, keeping hold of experienced nursing staff is fundamentally a safety issue and key to the government's own vision for the NHS. 'Long-overdue reforms to nursing career progression and the NHS pay structure aren't just about fairness and equity but are critical for patient safety.' Following the strike, the BMA has published a new issue of dispute with the government over the number of resident doctors who are unable to get speciality training jobs. According to the BMA, around 30,000 resident doctors have to compete for 10,000 specialist posts each year. A DHSC spokesperson added in response to the RCN: 'This government is clear we can't move any further on headline pay but will work with the RCN to improve their major concerns, including pay structure reform, concerns on career progression and wider working conditions.'
