NHS will remain free at point of use ‘as long as I’m alive’, new health secretary Victoria Atkins vows

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2023

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The new health secretary has promised the NHS will remain free at the point of use as long as she is “alive” as the service gears up for another difficult winter.

Victoria Atkins, who replaced Steve Barclay in Rishi Sunak’s most recent reshuffle, made the commitment while discussing the “unique” pressures the NHS faces every year.

“We have 11 million inpatients a year so the scale of the NHS is unique around the world,” she told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News.

“It is also unique because of the very fact that our care is free at the point of use. And that will continue for as long as I’m alive.”

Her commitment came as the NHS continues to suffer acute pressures, including a waiting list of an estimated 6.5 million people at the end of September and a high number of staff vacancies.

The difficulties facing the NHS has generated questions about its future, with the British Social Attitudes survey finding that the British public is the unhappiest it has ever been with the health service – but that it still supports it in principle.

Ms Atkins admitted there would be a “winter crisis” in the health service over the coming weeks and months as temperatures drop and people contract more illnesses.

Politics news – latest: Ensuring NHS functions well over winter is the ‘absolute priority’, Atkins says

She said the government had started preparing for the winter with an urgent and emergency care plan and that, having met its target to recruit 50,000 more nurses, it was “beginning to meet” the target of 5,000 more beds in hospital in a bid to cut delays.

Asked about the fact that three coroners had written to her to warn that ambulance delays were already causing unnecessary deaths, Ms Atkins said she was “very concerned” but that 800 new ambulances would be brought into the service.

She also claimed that category two ambulance times – which cover urgent calls for problems including strokes, and demand a response time of 18 minutes – had already improved.

Sir Trevor read out statistics from NHS England which showed that in 2014, the total number of people who had to wait 12 hours for hospital admission after a decision had been taken to admit them was 489.

In October this year, the average number of people who had to wait over 12 hours stood at 1,440 – nearly three times as many, he said.

Asked what she would do to solve the problem, Ms Atkins said hospital discharge was key.

“What we are doing to address this is almost looking at the end rather than the beginning, because if we can move people out of the system more quickly, then the flow through the hospitals is much smoother and quicker.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Ms Atkins was asked about how the NHS would fill 121,000 vacancies if the UK looks to cut immigration, with statistics showing that in June this year 265,000 people in its workforce came from abroad.

Ms Atkins said that while those from overseas who worked in the NHS were “incredibly important to the system”, “immigration as a whole is too high”.

Last week, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that net migration hit a record high of 745,000 in 2022 – revised up from a previous estimate of 606,000.

Ms Atkins said the government’s long-term workforce plan will see more nurses and doctors in the UK trained and retained in the system.

“We are working across government to tackle immigration because we understand it’s of great concern, but we can do this in a way that protects the NHS,” she added.

Politics

IRS appoints Trish Turner to head crypto division amid resignations

Published

5 hours ago

May 6, 2025

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IRS appoints Trish Turner to head crypto division amid resignations

Veteran US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official Trish Turner was appointed to lead the agency’s digital assets division following the departure of two key crypto-focused executives.

Turner, who has spent over 20 years at the IRS and most recently served as a senior adviser within the Digital Assets Office, will now head the unit, according to a report from Bloomberg Tax citing a person familiar with the situation.

Her promotion marks a significant leadership transition at a time when US crypto tax enforcement is facing both internal and external pressures.

On May 5, Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, two private-sector experts brought in to lead the IRS’s crypto unit, exited after roughly a year in their roles.

Mukherjee served as compliance and implementation executive director, while Wilks oversaw strategy and development. Wilks announced his departure on LinkedIn, while Mukherjee confirmed his decision in a statement to Bloomberg Tax.

“The reality is that federal employees have faced a very difficult environment over the past few months,” Wilks wrote. “If stepping aside helps preserve someone else’s job, then I am at peace with the decision.”

IRS ramps up crypto scrutiny

The IRS has ramped up its focus on cryptocurrency in recent years, increasing audits and criminal probes targeting digital asset transactions.

It also attempted to introduce broad crypto broker reporting requirements, which drew sharp criticism from industry stakeholders and was eventually overturned by President Donald Trump.

Set to take effect in 2027, the so-called IRS DeFi broker rule would have expanded the tax authority’s existing reporting requirements to include DeFi platforms, requiring them to disclose gross proceeds from crypto sales, including information regarding taxpayers involved in the transactions.

Turner’s leadership also comes during a shift in Washington’s approach to crypto regulation.

With the return of the Trump administration in January, federal agencies have scaled back regulations perceived as burdensome to digital asset innovation.

For instance, the Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped or paused over a dozen enforcement cases against crypto companies. Additionally, the Department of Justice has announced the dissolution of its cryptocurrency enforcement unit, signaling a softer approach to the sector.

Internally, the IRS is also navigating instability. Over 23,000 employees have reportedly expressed interest in resigning after Trump reintroduced a deferred resignation policy, raising concerns about long-term staffing and morale within the agency.

Magazine: Bitcoin to $1M ‘by 2029,’ CIA tips its hat to Bitcoin: Hodler’s Digest, April 27 – May 3

Politics

OKX exec warns against hype amid real-world asset tokenization boom

Published

5 hours ago

May 6, 2025

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OKX exec warns against hype amid real-world asset tokenization boom

The CEO of crypto exchange OKX’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) division has called on the industry to prioritize real-world utility as interest in tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) continues to grow.

In a Cointelegraph interview at the Token20249 event in Dubai, OKX MENA CEO Rifad Mahasneh warned that while tokenization is promising, projects must “clearly demonstrate” the benefits of tokenizing specific assets.

“In some cases, we’re tokenizing things that don’t need tokenization, but in some cases, we’re tokenizing things that actually give you real, everyday value, right? And if you can see that everyday value, then that is a promising project,” Mahasneh told Cointelegraph.

He said hype can drive project growth in the Web3 space, but providing everyday value should be the priority.

RWA tokenization gains traction in the UAE

Mahasneh’s comments come amid an increase in real-world asset tokenization projects in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates.

On May 1, MultiBank Group signed a $3 billion RWA agreement with the UAE-based real-estate firm MAG and blockchain infrastructure provider Mavryk — the largest RWA initiative worldwide to date.

In addition to billions in RWA deals, the UAE government has started working on RWA tokenization. On March 19, the Dubai Land Department — the government agency responsible for promoting, organizing and registering real estate in Dubai — announced a pilot phase of its real-estate tokenization project. The agency is working with Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the emirate’s crypto regulator.

On Jan. 9, RWA project Mantra also signed a $1 billion deal with Damac Group to tokenize the assets of the UAE-based conglomerate. However, months later, Mantra saw one of the biggest token collapses in crypto history, wiping out billions in market capitalization on April 13.

Mahasneh told Cointelegraph that the region’s clear regulations help drive bigger institutions to get into tokenization and crypto. He said regulatory clarity allows understanding of how key players in the space, like exchanges, are governed.

UAE stablecoin framework gives institutions confidence

The executive also praised the region’s progress in stablecoin regulations. In June 2024, the Central Bank of the UAE approved a regulatory framework for stablecoin licensing. This clarified the issuance, supervision and licensing of dirham-backed payment tokens.

According to Mahasneh, this demonstrates the UAE’s speed in regulating crypto-related technologies. The executive also highlighted that the central bank’s involvement gives institutions extra confidence in entering the business.

“Other markets are still debating whether they should have crypto regulations. Here, we moved into developing stablecoin regulations. For an investor, you want to know that your stablecoin is regulated. That’s a big plus,” Mahasneh said.

Since then, major players like Tether have joined the race by issuing a dirham-pegged stablecoin. On April 29, institutions like Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), First Abu Dhabi Bank and the International Holding Company partnered to launch a dirham-pegged stablecoin, pending regulatory approval.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Politics

US Senate crypto bills stall amid Trump ties and ethics concerns

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2025

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US Senate crypto bills stall amid Trump ties and ethics concerns

Efforts to pass crypto legislation in the US Senate face mounting resistance amid growing ethical concerns around US President Donald Trump’s ties to crypto.

In a May 5 letter to the Office of Government Ethics, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley said that Trump and his family stand to personally profit from an investment involving UAE state-backed firm MGX, crypto exchange Binance and World Liberty Financial (WLFI).

The senators called for an urgent probe, warning the deal may violate the US Constitution’s Emoluments Clause and federal bribery statutes.

At the center of the controversy is WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin, reportedly chosen for a $2 billion investment MGX plans to make into Binance.

The senators said the transaction amounts to a potential backdoor for foreign influence and self-enrichment, with Trump’s allies allegedly set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars:

“This deal raises the troubling prospect that the Trump and Witkoff families could expand the use of their stablecoin as an avenue to profit from foreign corruption.”

Further complicating ethics concerns, Trump hosted a $1.5 million-per-plate dinner on May 5 at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia. The event came just days after hosting a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser for the MAGA super PAC.

He also plans to hold a gala dinner with major Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin holders on May 22, despite multiple US lawmakers expressing concerns.

GENIUS Act faces roadblocks

The Trump family’s controversial $2 billion crypto deal comes as the Senate prepares to vote on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act and other crypto-related bills.

The fallout is already being felt in Congress. Some Democratic lawmakers are pushing for additional hearings before advancing any legislation, while others question whether Trump’s personal stake in digital assets is undermining bipartisan support for crypto regulation.

On May 5, Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled a willingness to amend the GOP-backed stablecoin legislation to pass the bill in the coming weeks.

Speaking to reporters, Thune said changes can be made on the floor and that he is waiting to hear what Democrats are asking for, per a report from Politico.

Internal GOP challenges also remain, with Senator Rand Paul expressing uncertainty about backing the bill, according to the report.

The stalling isn’t limited to the Senate. House Financial Services Committee ranking member Representative Maxine Waters plans to block a Republican-led event discussing digital assets on May 6.

The hearing, “American Innovation and the Future of Digital Assets,” will discuss a new crypto markets draft discussion paper pitched by the House agricultural and financial services committee chairs, Representatives Glenn Thompson and French Hill, respectively.

Crypto community slams political pushback

Prominent crypto figures are speaking out as political resistance threatens to derail stablecoin legislation in the Senate.

“Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer haven’t learned their lesson,” Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, posted on X.

“If they want Democrats to continue losing elections, they will continue standing in front of crypto legislation like the stablecoin bill which they are stalling out in the Senate.”