Steve Barclay confronts mother of sick daughter over ‘terrible damage’ done to NHS
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Hospitals in the West Midlands have said A&E patients are being turned away as emergency departments at Worcestershire and Redditch Health System declared a critical incident.
Declaring a critical incident means trusts can focus their resources on patients who need it most and highlights the pressure services are under.
Urgent and emergency services across the country have experienced the highest levels of demand and delays ever seen over the past 48 hours.
It comes as several ambulance services declared critical incidents as NHS services across the country face “unprecedented” pressure, ahead of planned strike action.
Nurses are on strike for a second day on Tuesday, while ambulance workers are due to walk out on Wednesday.
North East Ambulance Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service, East of England Ambulance Service, South Central Ambulance Service and Yorkshire have moved into the state as staff work to respond to calls.
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The railway will be paralyzed for a week in January while the union goes on strike again
Train drivers are due to strike again in the first week of January, threatening a full week of rail chaos as Britons return to work after the bank holiday break.
Members of the train drivers’ union Aslef from 15 train companies will walk out on Thursday, January 5.
It comes on top of existing strikes by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 14 train operators on January 3 and 4 and January 6 and 7, which means services will they will stop for a week.
Read the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley December 20, 2022 7:55 p.m
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Only 1 in 10 people blame nurses for the NHS strike
Just one in 10 people blame nurses for NHS strike as pressure mounts on government to negotiate.
A new survey released on Tuesday, as the effects of the strike bite, shows that net support for nurses has increased by 7% since the strikes were announced in November.
The Savanta poll found that a majority of the public, 54 percent, blames the government for resisting nurses’ wage demands.
Jon Stone has the full story:
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 6:58 p.m
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The Prime Minister is under pressure to negotiate the pay of health workers
Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure from Tory backbenchers to back down and negotiate pay with striking health workers as disruption is set to increase with ambulance walkouts.
Adding his name to a list of Tories calling for better talks, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “In my view, both sides need to offer some flexibility.
“Nurses with a 19 percent wage demand is completely unrealistic, the government just writing the ‘salary review’ lines is also unrealistic.
“These things have to be resolved through negotiation, both of them have to get around the table and see what can be done in the interest of the people of this country.
“People who are desperately likely to need this service over Christmas, it’s a very worrying time if you have a heart attack or something like that.”
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 6:39 p.m
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In pictures: Nurses march on strike in London
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Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 6:15 p.m
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The meeting with the health secretary is “totally pointless”, says the union leader
Onay Kasab, the national head of Unite, one of the unions representing ambulance workers, has described a meeting he held with Health Secretary Steven Barclay as “completely pointless” as the Cabinet minister ” refused to discuss salary.”
He said: “The meeting was rendered totally pointless by the attitude of Stephen Barclay who refused to discuss pay. How he expects to move and resolve the dispute without discussing the key issue is baffling.
“It is a disgrace that the government is not taking action to prevent NHS strikes, the unions are willing to talk but the government is not.
“Barclay was only willing to talk about repeals, which was useless as they have been scrapped and a fine-toothed comb has been agreed locally.
“His call for emergency coverage agreements to be respected was frankly insulting. Our members are taking strike action as an absolute last resort as they witness the collapse of the NHS on a daily basis.
“Not only are they committed to covering tomorrow’s emergency calls, our members will immediately leave the picket lines if a trust for any reason is unable to deal with emergencies.”
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 5:55 p.m
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London bus drivers will star in a new wave of strikes
Bus drivers in London are set to stage a new wave of strikes in a dispute over pay, which will see more than 1,000 drivers walk out.
Unite members employed by Abellio in south and west London will strike on 24, 27 and 31 December and 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26 January. Bus drivers have already gone on strike for 10 days.
The dispute initially involved 950 drivers, but Unite said its membership has since doubled.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is content with raking in mountains of cash but has imposed a completely unacceptable pay offer on its drivers.
“This is disgraceful behavior and our members are rightly furious. Unite always fights to defend and improve the jobs, pay and conditions of members and the workforce in South and West London from Abellio counts with the unconditional support of his union”.
Unite said further strikes would be planned if the dispute was not resolved.
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 5:38 p.m
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Royal Mail workers confirm further strikes ahead of Christmas
Royal Mail workers have confirmed further strikes two days before Christmas.
The Communications Workers’ Union confirmed two strike days on Friday 23 December and Christmas Eve.
The offer that was extended to the company to suspend the strikes and establish a period of calm from now until January 16, 2023, as well as the union and the company signing a joint statement that incorporated the latest Royal Mail’s promise of no compulsory redundancies was rejected almost immediately. , according to the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
Thomas Kingsley has the full story:
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 5:19 p.m
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Hospitals turn away A&E patients after declaring a critical incident
NHS leaders in the West Midlands have admitted patients are suffering as “extreme pressure” pushes A&Es to turn patients away, regardless of whether they are accepted elsewhere, The Independent has learnt.
Worcestershire and Redditch Health System emergency departments have declared a critical incident and warned of delays in the discharge of patients from ambulances to A&E.
Hospitals in the region may be forced to put UTI patients in corridors if pressures on health services and ambulances are not eased, according to an email seen by The Independent.
Rebecca Thomas has the full story:
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 4:59 p.m
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The Prime Minister was evasive when faced with questions about whether the UK would leave the ECHR
Rishi Sunak has repeatedly refused to say whether the UK should leave or repeal the European Convention on Human Rights in order to push through his plan to deport asylum seekers who arrive illegally.
Pressed by the SNP’s Joanna Cherry while giving evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee, the Prime Minister said: “You will see the legislation next year and we will certainly have an opportunity to debate it then, but I would not speculate on it now.
“I want to fix this problem. I will do whatever it takes to fix the problem of illegal immigration in small boats coming here and we will introduce legislation in the new year.”
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 4:33 p.m
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Sunak said his message to workers considering striking this Christmas was that the best way they could help themselves was by allowing the government to reduce high inflation.
He told the Liaison Committee: “I have recognized that it is difficult, it is difficult for everyone because inflation is where it is. And the best way to help them and help everyone else in the country is for us to get together and reduce inflation as soon as possible.
“And we have to make sure that the decisions we make can lead to that outcome. Because if we get it wrong and we’re still facing high inflation a year from now, that’s not going to help anybody.
“I don’t want to see this, I want things to go back to normal, and that’s why having an independent payment process is an important part of making these decisions and making them right.”
Aisha Rimi December 20, 2022 4:24 p.m