Doctors call for strike action over ‘derisory’ pay offer as Covid hospitalisations rise July 22, 2021 Thousands of doctors have condemned the government’s “shambolic and derisory” 3 per cent pay rise offer to NHS staff in England, threatening industrial action as Covid hospitalisations soar. Lobbying organisation The Doctors’ Assocation (DAUK) said the 3 per cent offered “does not come close to what staff deserve” and was an “insult” from the government [...]
Government confirms 3 per cent pay rise for NHS staff in England July 21, 2021 The government has this evening announced a 3.0 per cent payrise for NHS staff in England after apparently failing to do so earlier today. In a statement tonight the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that it had accepted the recommendations of NHS independent pay review bodies in full. The pay rise covers [...]
Over 1 million children out of school last week due to ‘pingdemic’ July 20, 2021 More than 1 million state school children were off school last week because of coronavirus-related reasons, government figures revealed. The estimated number of 1.05 million school students not in class on 15 July, is a record high since all children returned to school in March, and up 11.2 per cent on figures from just one [...]
NHS Test and Trace: Covid app’s sensitivity will not be tweaked as hundreds of thousands of people self-isolate July 19, 2021 The NHS Covid-19 app will not have its sensitivity tweaked, Downing Street has confirmed, despite industries warning of staff shortages as England lifts almost all coronavirus restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among the hundreds of thousands of people currently self-isolating due to being alerted by NHS Test and Trace that [...]
Pubs shut and supermarkets closed: Pingdemic rips through recovery July 19, 2021 Supermarkets and pubs shut their doors today as the so-called “pingdemic” results in staff shortages across the country. Iceland boss Richard Walker said some of their 1,000 UK stores had been forced to close by the NHS app ‘pinging’ staff with orders to self-isolate. And the CEO of pub chain Greene King, Nick Mackenzie, has [...]
Over half a million people pinged by NHS app in new record high July 15, 2021 More than half a million people were pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app in a week, the highest figures ever. A total of 520,194 notifications were sent to users of the app in the week to 7 July, informing them that they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive [...]
CMA slaps pharma firms with £260m in fines for hiking prices for NHS July 15, 2021 The UK’s competition watchdog has slapped drug companies with fines totalling more than £260m for hiking prices for the NHS. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said prices of “life-saving” hydrocortisone tablets had risen by over 10,000 per cent. The price hike equated to the NHS being charged £80 for a single pack of tablets [...]
Covid-19 app sensitivity to be reviewed, amid rising infections July 9, 2021 The sensitivity of the NHS Covid contact tracing app will be reviewed, amid a rise in alerts as infections surge. The NHS Covid contact tracing app used in England and Wales may need to change as coronavirus restrictions change, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. He said that the end of the one metre plus rule [...]
NHS app self-isolation tracker could change if Covid cases see a summer spiral July 8, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hinted that the way the NHS app ‘pings’ people for self-isolation could change as Covid-19 cases are expected to rise over the summer. Businesses have become increasingly frustrated with high staff absences due to employees being told to self-isolate. “I’ve spoken to the Health Secretary about this and he’s aware of [...]
London vaccine race: NHS crackdown on clinics allowing second dose queue-jumping July 7, 2021 London vaccine race: NHS crackdown on clinics allowing second dose queue-jumping