Major disruption for patients as senior doctors begin first walkout in decades

Published

2 years ago

July 20, 2023

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NHS patients face major disruption over the next 48 hours as senior doctors in England begin their first major strike in nearly 50 years.

Consultant doctors along with hospital-based dentists will strike over pay from 7am on Thursday until 7am on Saturday.

It follows the longest period of industrial action in the history of the NHS by junior doctors across five days from last Thursday to Tuesday.

The NHS medical director warned the latest action would be one of the toughest strikes in the history of the service, with “routine care virtually at a standstill”.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis warned of the mass disruption expected across the NHS with consultants providing just emergency cover.

Apart from a brief dispute over pensions in 2012, senior consultants last took major long-term action in 1975 over their contracts.

Consultants are senior doctors who see patients but are also responsible for the supervision of junior doctors and other staff.

How much do consultants earn?

The British Medical Association rejected a 6% pay rise for consultants – calling it “insulting” and a “savage real-terms pay cut”.

It called for a 35% pay increase as it claims that it is the figure take-home pay has declined by over the last 15 years.

However, the BMA is using an outdated measure of inflation. While using the consumer price index, as the ONS recommends, the real-terms decrease in pay since 2010 is 15%

The BMA says current basic pay scales see consultants earning £88,364 as a starting salary, with tiered increases up to £119,133 for consultants with 19 years’ experience

The Department of Health and Social care says that on average, consultants earn £127,228 a year

This included basic pay of £97,406 supplemented by £29,882 in pay for working beyond contracted hours, being on call, and for medical awards such as the clinical excellence award

Patients have been warned a “significant amount” of planned care involving junior doctors will be affected because other clinicians cannot provide cover or carry out supervisory roles.

The British Medical Association said consultants will provide “Christmas Day cover” – meaning only an emergency care level of service.

NHS England said: “We are now entering the eighth month of industrial action across the NHS and staff continue to work hard to provide patients with the best possible care under the circumstances.

“Industrial action has impacted approximately 600,000 hospital appointments across the NHS with over 365,000 staff absences due to industrial action during this time.”

What if you need urgent medical care?

The NHS states people should use NHS111 online to be assessed and directed to the right care.

If you do not have internet access, then the 111 helpline is available.

When someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, you should seek emergency care in the normal way by calling 999.

The NHS website states: “Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.

“Patients should take advice from 111/999 call-handlers on whether there are circumstances where it is suitable for them to make their own way to hospital.

“During strike days, it is likely 999 and 111 call handlers will be very busy, this may mean longer call response times.”

GP services and pharmacies will be running as normal.

Great-grandmother’s case highlights NHS dilemma

Carol Haworth is lying in a bed in Preston Hospital’s Emergency Department after breaking her left hip in a fall.

Dr Amogh Patel patiently explains that the 68-year-old great-grandmother will need immediate surgery to repair her shattered joint.

The surgery will fall on the first day of the nationwide NHS consultants strike

Carol’s case encapsulates the problems facing the NHS. She will have the emergency operation to repair her left hip, but has already waited nine months for surgery on her right hip.

And that wait will go on.

It is exactly the sort of life changing operation that will be cancelled in the thousands over the next 48 hours because of the consultants’ strike.

Carol remains philosophical: “We’ve had a lot of knock backs with COVID and this is only setting it back even further. So what can you do? It’s no good just squabbling about it, is it? You’ve just got to take it as it goes.”

‘My door is always open’

On the strikes by senior doctors, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I hugely value the work of NHS consultants which is why we have accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full, giving them a 6% pay rise this year, on top of last year’s 4.5% increase.

“My door is always open to discuss non-pay issues, but this pay award is final so I urge the BMA to end their strikes immediately.”

UK

World Cup 2026 – who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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World Cup 2026 - who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play

Scotland and England now know who they will face in the group stage of the next summer’s world cup.

But the fates of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales won’t be determined until they compete in pre-tournament play-off matches in March.

England are in Group L along with Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Their first match will be against Croatia, who beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Scotland’s first match will be against Haiti, in Group C.

Brazil and Morocco are the other Group C teams – both countries were also in the same opening group as Scotland in the 1998 World Cup in France.

Wales have yet to find out if they will qualify as they must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, and then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.

If they can overcome these play-off opponents then they will secure their place in Group B along with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. But Northern Ireland will also be vying and hoping to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Republic of Ireland also need to get through the play-offs first and are paired against the Czech Republic for their semi-final. Should Ireland win that match, they will need to beat either North Macedonia or Denmark to get to the finals where an opening group containing joint hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea awaits.

UK

Crafted for one man – this was a World Cup draw like no other

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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Crafted for one man - this was a World Cup draw like no other

This was a World Cup draw like no other. Crafted less for the teams but for one man.

The choice of venue. The creation of a new trophy. The closing music act.

Donald Trump was lavished with the adulation he craves by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and feels others unfairly deny him.

Knowing how much being overlooked by the Nobel Committee hurt the US president, there was Mr Infantino with FIFA’s newly-created Peace Prize to hand over. And a medal for Mr Trump to wear.

“This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” he said. “And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this. We saved millions and millions of lives.”

This was all on the stage in front of an audience who turned up to find out who they will be playing at the World Cup.

England handed an undaunting route past Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Scotland paired with newcomers Haiti before tricky reunions from their last men’s World Cup in 1998 against Brazil and Morocco.

But the show before the draw could even begin – presided over by Rio Ferdinand – took almost as long as a football match, at 87 minutes after the noon kick-off was delayed.

There was a walk of self-promotion to complete – “I guess they have to wait” – before taking his seat in the Kennedy Center. Or the Trump Kennedy Center as the president takes to calling the venue picked 1.5 miles from the White House.

“It was falling apart,” he said, delaying the walk into the auditorium. “And now it’s, it’s pretty much back.”

Mr Infantino could only watch on, beaming, at his friend.

“We had a dead country,” Mr Trump went on, “and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world”.

There was the awkwardness of being reminded, before receiving the peace accolade, about threats to launch military strikes on Venezuela to stop the drugs trade.

“I did settle eight wars, and we have a ninth coming,” he swatted away the question. “Which nobody’s ever done before. But I want to really save lives. I don’t need prizes.”

But FIFA knew how much he wanted more gold for the collection with the prize.

More on this story:
What draw means for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

And for all the mockery and disdain targeted at FIFA, how many sports would relish having the US president spend several hours attending a procedural event determining the placing of teams in groups for a tournament?

How many would dish out the same flattery to secure direct lines to the leader of the nation staging their championship?

Many have benefited from Mr Trump’s stardust and swagger being attached to this spectacle.

Even Port Vale’s most famous fan – Robbie Williams – secured a walk-on role, exceeding his profile this side of the Pond.

And the Village People are reaping the rewards of becoming the unlikeliest of Trump hype acts.

The festivities ended with eyes fixed back up to the presidential seating and the YMCA dance being performed.

This was an afternoon that dispelled any pretence that FIFA keeps a distance from politics. It was unapologetically political. But few speak out in the FIFA world as the redistributed wealth keeps rolling back in their direction.

It would be easy to forget this isn’t entirely America’s World Cup. They’re sharing hosting with Canada and Mexico.

And eventually the spotlight was ceded to their leaders – very briefly – as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew out their countries’ names.

But it did live up to FIFA’s mantra that football can unite the world.

The neighbours were brought together here on a snowy day in Washington. And tensions – often stoked by Mr Trump with Canada and Mexico – thawed in the name of football.

UK

Duchess of Sussex ‘reaches out’ to estranged father after reports of leg amputation

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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Duchess of Sussex 'reaches out' to estranged father after reports of leg amputation

Meghan Markle has “reached out” to her estranged father after reports he had his leg amputated, her spokesperson has said.

Thomas Markle, 81, reportedly had his leg amputated following surgery in the Philippines, where he moved to this year.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since around the time of her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.

Mr Markle, a retired television lighting director and director of photography, made headlines across the globe after he was caught staging paparazzi photographs in the days ahead of the ceremony.

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: “I can confirm she has reached out to her father.”

Meghan is said to have previously tried to reach out to him in the past.

Mr Markle has never met his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

At the start of this year, Mr Markle told of how he dreamed of bringing his “whole family together” and wished his daughter “no ill-will”.

Mr Markle revealed that he didn’t “like some of the things” Meghan had done but would “always love her”.

His interview with the Mail on Sunday came amid the duchess’ return to Instagram and the release of a trailer for her lifestyle show on Netflix.

Mr Markle said: “I’m not running away. I am going in search of a more positive life.

“Every day I see something about Meghan. This week it has been the new TV show.”

In his first interview after his daughter’s wedding, Mr Markle said he didn’t attend the big day because he was embarrassed about staging the photos.

“The truth is I couldn’t get over the fact that that had happened. All that stuff was working on me, I had a bit of a heart condition.

“This pushed me a little further to the part where I had heart palpitations. I had to drive at 2am to a hospital. They sent me to another little hospital and then they sent me to a bigger hospital and I had a heart attack.”

A day-and-a-half later he said he felt better and checked himself out against doctors’ wishes in a bid to make it to the wedding, but the heart palpitations returned when he got home, which at the time was in Mexico.

“At that time I started getting chest pains and I said I have to cancel because I didn’t take care of the heart problem before. I had a good friend take me back to a hospital across the border to the States where I was told that my condition was very bad and they had to operate, and I had heart surgery.”