Hospitals warned that NHS staff may have to exit procedures to care for other patients November 15, 2022 NHS bosses and watchdogs have warned hospitals that staff may have to “depart from established procedures” to care for other patients this winter. In a letter revealed today, medical and regulatory chiefs told hospital bosses that should NHS staff have to exit procedures to fulfil other duties during heightened hospital admissions, that watchdogs will consider [...]
Government goes head to head with Britain’s nurses: ‘Simply not affordable’ November 11, 2022 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dismissed pay demands from unions representing nurses across Britain, calling them “simply not affordable.” His remark comes as the threat of strike action that will hit operations and appointments looms. Sunak said he shared the public’s “respect and gratitude” for nurses, and that he was pleased the Health Secretary was [...]
Nurses to strike before the end of the year in historic vote November 9, 2022 Nurses in the UK have voted in favour of striking before the end of the year, in the first walkout of its kind. NHS appointments are set to be cancelled after the historic vote from members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union. RCN said its members in the majority of NHS employers in [...]
NHS plans to use Palantir data collection software could face legal challenges, campaigners say November 7, 2022 NHS plans to collect patient data using software developed by controversial US tech firm Palantir could be challenged in court. Campaigners have said they are considering filing a judicial review to challenge the plans, which would see NHS patient data processed using Palantir’s Foundry analytics platform. The threat of legal action comes after the UK government cancelled a [...]
Badenoch hits back at claims India-UK trade deal could hike prices for NHS after agreement is leaked November 5, 2022 Trade secretary Kemi Badenoch has hit back at claims the NHS could be set to pay higher costs for drugs as a result of a UK-India trade deal. It has emerged that a leaked chapter of the free trade agreement (FTA) between UK and India contains provisions that suggests, amongst other things, pharmaceutical companies would be allowed [...]
NHS Trusts back out of working with Bupa over unpaid medical bills October 30, 2022 At least two NHS Trusts have reportedly backed out of working with medical insurer Bupa over claims of unpaid bills. The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust has called in lawyers and is threatening court action over £400,000 worth of private patient’s medical bills, which have gone unpaid, The Sunday Times first reported. Oxford University Hospitals [...]
‘You need to try harder’: Sunak confronted by patient over nurses’ pay October 28, 2022 Rishi Sunak has been called out over nurses’ pay during a visit to a south London hospital this afternoon. In a visit to Croydon Hospital, the prime minister was confronted by 77-year-old Catherine Poole, a patient, who said it was a “pity you don’t pay them more” in reference to the surrounding nurses. Sunak replied [...]
Pfizer and Flynn Pharma to appeal £70m fine for price hiking October 27, 2022 Pfizer and Flynn Pharma have filed an appeal against the UK’s competition watchdog over its decision to fine the firms £70m for hiking the price of a life-saving epilepsy drug. Pharma giant Pfizer and privately-owned neuroscience specialist Flynn are appealing the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) £70m fine, after the two firms previously forced the [...]
Hundreds of thousands of nurses to vote on strike over pay in historic ballot October 6, 2022 Britain’s largest nursing union will poll hundreds of thousands of its members today over strike action, the biggest ballot in its 106-year history. The Royal College of Nursing union is campaigning for a pay rise of five per cent above inflation, which currently stands at 9.9 per cent – the highest in around 40-years. Around [...]
Junior doctors threaten ballot to strike over NHS ‘paltry’ pay August 31, 2022 The summer of discontent is set to widen to junior doctors next month, with the British Medical Association to ballot junior doctors for industrial action. The organisation held an emergency meeting this week, with its co-chairs writing to the secretary of state for health and social care, Steve Barclay, expressing their concerns about pay. The [...]