Steve Barkley faces mother of sick daughter over ‘horrendous damage’ to NHS
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Ambulance services are likely to be hit today as thousands of workers across England and Wales join nurses on strike over pay.
Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB Union, said the government could resolve the dispute at any time.
“We’ve tried everything to raise wages, the issue that’s driving this row, but the government won’t listen and won’t talk,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
The strike will increase pressure on NHS services, with hospitals saying the action will put patients at risk.
The NHS Confederation, which represents national health organisations, said the strike had put patient safety at risk.
“We cannot guarantee patient safety, we cannot avoid the risks in the context of this industrial action,” chief executive Matthew Taylor told BBC radio on Tuesday.
The government said the “deeply regrettable” strike would mean fewer ambulances on the road.
The latest strike action comes amid record levels of demand and delays in A&E services across the country.
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Health minister says public must ‘use common sense’ amid ambulance strikes
Health Secretary Stephen Barclay MP says the public must “use their common sense” as ambulance services strike across the country today.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Barclay said: “The public needs to exercise common sense about the activities they carry out.”
He added that people should be “mindful” of the pressure on health services as life-threatening calls are prioritized but no national exemptions apply.
Furvah Shah21 December 2022 07:45
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ICYMI: Public warned against ‘risky activity’ amid ambulance strikes
Britons were warned not to take risks – including drinking, driving or playing certain sports – as ambulance services were thrown into chaos hours before the planned strike.
Rebecca Thomas, Adam Forrest, Kate Devlin report:
Sravasti Dasgupta December 21, 2022 7:30 am
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Government refuses to budge on pay as nurses and doctors strike
The British government has said it will not offer more money to nurses and ambulance crews to end strikes that are putting pressure on an already overstretched health system.
The government insists it cannot become directly involved in wage negotiations between unions and employers.
Read this Associated Press report:
Sravasti Dasgupta December 21, 2022 7:00 am
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Fewer ambulances are expected today
Ambulance services are likely to be hit today as thousands of workers across England and Wales join nurses on strike over pay.
Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB Union, said the government could resolve the dispute at any time.
“We’ve tried everything to raise pay, the issue that’s driving this row, but the government won’t listen and won’t talk,” she said in a statement. She added that ambulance workers deserve better.
“The government needs to talk about payment now.”
Unions demanded a rise above inflation, which was 10.7% above consumer prices in November.
(EPA)
Sravasti Dasgupta December 21, 2022 6:30 am
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Barclay accused the unions of a “conscious decision” to “harm” patients
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has accused unions of making a “conscious decision” to “harm” patients as thousands of ambulance staff walk out on the first of two one-day strikes.
As NHS leaders warned they could not guarantee patient safety, unions angrily accused the government of putting lives at risk by refusing to engage with them on the issue of pay in Tuesday’s talks.
But writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Barclay said: “We now know that NHS emergency plans will not cover all 999 calls. Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to harm patients.
Union leaders insisted there would still be cover for the most serious calls through a series of local agreements, and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described claims by ministers that many serious calls would not be answered as “misleading” and “at best the bad case, deliberately instilling fear.”
Andy Gregory December 21, 2022 05:59
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Hospitals to turn away patients from emergency rooms after declaring a critical incident
NHS chiefs in the West Midlands have admitted patients are being put at risk as “extreme pressure” forces A&Es to turn away patients regardless of whether they are admitted elsewhere, The Independent revealed yesterday.
Emergency departments at Worcestershire and Redditch Health System have declared a critical incident and warned of delays in offloading patients from ambulances to A&E.
Hospitals in the region could be forced to place ITU patients in corridors if pressure on emergency departments and ambulances is not eased, according to an email seen by The Independent.
Our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas has the full report here:
Andy Gregory December 21, 2022 4:58 am
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The railway will be crippled for a week in January as the union stages another strike
Train drivers will stage another strike in the first week of January, threatening a week of rail chaos as Britons return to work after the holiday break.
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef in 15 rail companies will walk out on Thursday, January 5.
It comes on top of existing strikes by members of the RMT union at Network Rail and 14 train operators on January 3 and 4 and January 6 and 7, meaning services will be crippled for a week.
Alan Jones December 21, 2022 at 3:54 am
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Enforcing pay requirements would take money away from frontline services, Barkley says
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said meeting NHS staff pay requirements would take resources away from frontline services.
“Times are challenging but we have fully accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS pay review body, which means most ambulance staff have received an increase of at least 4 per cent,” he said.
“This will bring average incomes to around £47,000 per person. Further pay rises would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are dealing with record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic.”
Andy Gregory December 21, 2022 02:51 am
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The health minister is urging people to take “extra care” on Wednesday
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has urged the public to take “extra care” as ambulance staff strike in a bid to partially address a decade of falling real wages.
Mr Barclay described Wednesday’s staff walkout in England and Wales as “deeply regrettable” and insisted his “number one priority” was patient safety. With fewer ambulances on the road, he urged people to plan their activities “accordingly” and check on vulnerable neighbors and families.
“Our ambulance crew are incredibly dedicated to their work and it is deeply regrettable that some union members are taking strike action. My number one priority is to keep patients safe,” he said.
“The Government and NHS colleagues are working to protect safe staffing levels. However, there will be fewer ambulances on the roads due to industrial action and the NHS will prioritize those with life-threatening needs.
“My message to the public is to be extra careful and plan your activities accordingly. You may also want to check on more vulnerable friends, family and neighbors.
Andy Gregory December 21, 2022 1:44 am
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The Nurses’ Union of Wales has condemned the Government’s “absolute silence”.
Nicky Hughes, associate director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, claimed that Welsh Health Secretary Eluned Morgan had refused the union’s calls to enter into pay talks.
Nurses were prepared to “continue the fight” if no agreement was reached, Ms Hughes said, adding that discussions were ongoing on what the union’s next steps would be.
“We saw such an impact on the day with many of our members on the pickets and members of the public were so generous and supportive throughout. I think we have the public behind us and that’s really important,” Ms Hughes said.
“But we have had complete silence from the Welsh Government. The Health Minister last asked us to go to a meeting as a union on the 12th and again there was nothing on the table in terms of meaningful remuneration.
“We kept asking them to come back and start negotiations, we even called on First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday to come to the table and prevent today’s strike, but there was only silence.
“The Welsh Government says it is because of the Westminster Government, but in Wales health is a devolved matter and the Welsh Government must properly manage and fund the NHS in Wales. If they don’t, we’ll continue bleeding the nurses. As it is, the NHS is on a knife edge.
Andy Gregory December 21, 2022 12:40 am
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