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Doctors who have been working for the NHS for less than two weeks are among those downing tools this morning and going on strike.

Junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) are staging a four-day walkout from 7am in an ongoing dispute over pay.

Concerns have been mounting over the impact of the strike following a High Court ruling that means the NHS cannot use agency staff to backfill striking workers.

NHS junior doctors take part in a march and rally in the centre of Birmingham, on the final day of the British Medical Association's 96-hour walkout in a dispute over pay. Picture date: Friday April 14, 2023.
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NHS junior doctors take part in a march and rally in the centre of Birmingham. File pic

Almost 835,000 appointments have been postponed since industrial action began in December.

But NHS Confederation said the true level of disruption is being “masked” and the number of cancellations could be double this figure.

It said many hospitals have stopped booking in routine activity on potential strike days to prevent causing more disruption to patients on waiting lists, and the action was hampering efforts to reduce the record backlog of care.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned the figure could close in on one million postponed appointments following strikes by junior doctors and consultants in August, as well as a potential further two-day strike by consultants in September.

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“There will be a long-lasting effect on patients who have had treatment delayed and on already low staff morale,” he added.

Making room for rescheduled appointments could also mean those further down the waiting list also face delays.

Striking junior doctors from British Medical Association take part in a rally in Manchester
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Striking junior doctors from British Medical Association take part in a rally in Manchester. File pic

It comes as NHS England revealed 7.6 million people were waiting for treatment at the end of June, the highest number since records began in August 2007.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Patients are bearing the brunt of the impact of continuous strikes across the NHS, and further action by the BMA will cause more appointments and procedures to be postponed.

“Our award balances the need to keep inflation in check while recognising the incredibly important work they do.

“My door is always open to discuss how to improve doctors’ working lives, but this pay award is final so I urge the BMA to end its strikes immediately.”

The BMA are demanding a 35% increase, arguing junior doctors have lost more than a quarter of their pay over 15 years as a result of salaries not keeping up with inflation.

But the government said a 6% uplift given to junior doctors, which it says is the equivalent to an average increase of 8.8% – in addition to a consolidated £1,250 rise – is “fair and reasonable”.

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NHS treatment list at record high

It’s the fifth time junior doctors have walked out of the wards this year, and the ninth successive month of union action across the NHS.

The action will include some medics who only started their jobs with the NHS last Wednesday.

Dr Omolara Akinnawonu is one of those Foundation Year 1 doctors who started her role on 2 August. She said many medics struggle to make ends meet when they first start in the health service.

“I don’t think many of us as students imagined that we will be having to take to picket lines but I think that it’s necessary because it’s safeguarding our right now and also our future,” the 24-year-old said.

“We sort of graduated at the backfoot and to arrive finally as a doctor to not receive a fair salary is not fair.”

The strike is due to end at 7am on Tuesday.

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Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

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Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

The Tornado Cash co-founder is scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but his defense attorneys are still waiting on rulings for motions over witnesses in the case.

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Migrants deal a win for Starmer – and could help with fight against Reform

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Migrants deal a win for Starmer - and could help with fight against Reform

The bromance between Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron is so apparent – embraces all around.

This is some deft diplomacy from Sir Keir, who has been love-bombing his French counterpart ever since he became prime minister – trying to get closer ties, be it on security, on trade, and now of course on small boats.

And he has got a win today – he’s got President Macron to agree a deterrent deal.

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You remember the Conservatives were trying the Rwanda plan to deter people from coming by sending them back to Rwanda, a third country, if they came here illegally.

What the prime minister has agreed with President Macron today is a big deal. It’s a one in, one out deal.

What they’re going to do is, if someone arrives here illegally, they will be sent back to France, and in return, the UK will accept a legitimate asylum seeker. It might be someone who has family ties.

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How people smugglers dodge French police

It’s going to start off really small – think of it as a pilot – as they’re going to test it out, see if it works.

It might be just a handful of people being sent back, maybe just under a thousand or so by the end of the year. But they will hopefully, for the prime minister, scale it up and it could become a real deterrent.

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Farage reacts to UK-France migrant deal

I’ll leave you with just one more thought: As Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron were doing this deal today, Nigel Farage was in the English Channel documenting illegal migrants making that crossing – 79 people being picked up by Border Force, taken off a dinghy and into Dover.

Polling out this morning by Portland suggests four in 10 voters who are planning on going to Reform would go back to Labour if the prime minister tackles small boats and drives down the crossings.

There is a real political imperative for him to try to start to resolve this problem. It’s going to count at the ballot box – immigration is a top-three issue in this country when it comes to voters.

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US lawmakers to discuss crypto tax policy amid push to pass three bills

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US lawmakers to discuss crypto tax policy amid push to pass three bills

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The hearing notice suggested a focus on a tax framework for digital assets, but did not mention specific witnesses or policies previously proposed.

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