Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘Frustration’ over NHS strike costs

NHS Providers conveyed this message following the Treasury's rejection of a plea for an additional £1 billion to cover strike-related costs

‘Frustration’ over NHS strike costs

HOSPITAL administrators are warning about plans to curtail additional bed openings due to a lack of funds, particularly during the winter months.

NHS Providers, which represents managers, conveyed this message following the Treasury’s rejection of a plea for an additional £1 billion to cover strike-related costs.


The group also mentioned a pause in workforce recruitment to address staff shortages, the BBC reported.

However, the government asserted that winter planning remains on track. It pointed to the successful establishment of 10,000 “virtual” hospital beds, where doctors monitor patients remotely, and also progress in adding 5,000 new permanent hospital beds, representing a five per cent increase in numbers.

A department of health and social care spokesman said, “We recognise the challenges the NHS faces over the coming months, which is why we started preparing for winter earlier than ever.”

The cost of industrial action to the health service is estimated at £1bn this year, but the Treasury confirmed last week only an additional £100 million would be allocated to the NHS to cover the cost of strikes.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, expressed “palpable frustration” at the Treasury’s reluctance to offer additional funding.

He noted that it would be “really difficult” to address the growing number of people waiting for treatment, which the government has identified as a crucial priority. Figures published last week revealed a record 7.8 million on the waiting list.

Hartley conveyed a “sense of dread” regarding the possibility of doctors initiating additional strikes as winter approached. The previous year had witnessed record wait times for ambulances and in A&E departments.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less