‘Quit smoking’ message could be put inside cigarette packs August 14, 2023 ‘Quit smoking’ messages could be added to the inside of cigarette packs under draft proposals being considered by the government. The inserts would set out the health and financial benefits of giving up and signpost advice and support available to those trying to quit smoking, the Department of Health (DHSC) said. A consultation launched on [...]
Tribunal upholds £84m CMA fine for firm that hiked drug prices August 8, 2023 The companies behind a drug whose price was hiked from £20 to £248 per pack in just eight years will be fined a combined £84 million after a tribunal upheld the competition watchdog’s decision. The Competition Appeal Tribunal on Tuesday had endorsed “all the main elements” of the Competition and Markets Authority’s decision, the CMA [...]
Sunak accepts six per cent public sector pay rises but warns it ‘will cost all of you as taxpayers’ July 13, 2023 Government has accepted recommendations for millions of public sector workers to receive pay rises of six per cent or more, Rishi Sunak has announced. The prime minister said today reports from independent pay bodies calling for public sector pay rises of between five and 6.5 per cent for millions of medics, teachers and civil servants [...]
NHS bosses urged to ‘get a grip’ as report finds health service falling behind peers June 26, 2023 NHS leaders have been urged to “get a grip on budgets” as researchers suggested Britain’s health service was falling behind comparable nations. Health think tank the King’s Fund found the UK had “below-average health spending per person” and “lags behind other countries in its capital investment”. And hospitals have “substantially fewer key physical resources” like [...]
Sunak’s five pledges laid to waste as most Brits say he’s doing a ‘bad job’ – especially on inflation June 23, 2023 Rishi Sunak asked Brits to ‘judge me on my record”, and it seems that’s exactly what people have done, as three quarters think the prime minister is “doing badly” at cutting inflation. A fresh poll by YouGov laid bare the lack of confidence in the PM this morning, after the group surveyed the public on [...]
Keir Starmer vows to ban ads for ‘harmful’ products like sugary snacks aimed at children May 22, 2023 Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to ban advertising for “harmful” products including vaping, junk food and “sugary snacks” to children if Labour is elected into power. He outlined his plans for reforms to the NHS, Labour’s third ‘mission’ for government, in a speech this morning, setting out a bid to shift to a prevention-focused approach, [...]
Fears raised over low NHS staff morale, health leader says April 29, 2023 A health boss has said NHS leaders have never been so worried over staff morale as nurses are set to go on strike again. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, a membership body for organisations that commission and provide services across the NHS, added that workforce concerns go beyond industrial action with “serious [...]
Junior doctors launch four-day strike over pay: What does it mean for you? April 11, 2023 Junior doctors across England have launched a four-day strike in a worsening dispute over pay which threatens huge disruption to the NHS. An estimated 350,000 appointments, including operations, will be cancelled as a result of the walkout by members of the British Medical Association (BMA). Doctors mounted picket lines outside hospitals from 7am on Tuesday [...]
Four-day junior doctor strike could impact ‘patient safety’ April 8, 2023 Up to a quarter of a million appointments and operations could be postponed due to four days of strikes by junior doctors, the NHS Confederation has warned, amid fears over patient safety. Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the confederation, said health bosses were more concerned about the impact of the latest walkout – [...]
Could fixing workplace stress save the UK £28bn a year? Axa warns burnout is burning a hole the economy March 29, 2023 People taking sick days because of work-related stress or burnout is costing the UK economy £28 billion a year, according to new research which highlights the financial toll of poor mental wellbeing. More people said they were struggling in the UK than in any other nation, the survey of 30,000 adults across 16 European, Asian [...]