Wes Streeting rules out pay rises for striking resident doctors saying they have 'squandered goodwill'
The medics - formerly known as junior doctors - finished a five-day strike over pay on Wednesday morning. The group were awarded a close to 30% raise last year but say they want more in an attempt to bring their pay back in line with what they had in 2008.
Mr Streeting previously said he would not negotiate further on pay but would consider taking steps on working conditions.
He has reiterated that stance - and continued to put pressure on negotiations to start again on the government's terms.
The British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee, which represents the doctors, have not ruled out further action.
In a letter sent today to the co-chairs of the committee, Mr Streeting thanked them for an invitation to "get back to the negotiating table" - but added the barb that it was "ironic because I never left".
"I am ready to continue the conversation from where you left it," he added.
He went on to say the strikes was "deeply disappointing and entirely unnecessary" - adding that there were "seemingly promising discussions" about improving doctors' working lives.
3:13
'We cannot move on pay'
Mr Streeting criticised the committee, saying they "rushed to strike".
His letter added: "The consequences of your strike action have been a detrimental impact on patients, your members, your colleagues and the NHS, which might have been worse were it not for the considerable efforts of NHS leaders and front-line staff who stepped up.
"Your action has also been self-defeating, because you have squandered the considerable goodwill you had with me and this government. I cannot in good conscience let patients, or other NHS staff, pay the price for the costs of your decision."
The health secretary said he wanted to "reset the relationship" between the government and young doctors following the previous industrial action.
Mr Streeting went on to say he is "serious about improving working conditions" but has been clear "we cannot move on pay".
"This government is prepared to negotiate on areas related to your conditions at work, career progression and tangible measures which would put money in your members' pockets," he added.
Mr Streeting concluded: "I was critical of my predecessors when they closed the door to the Junior Doctors Committee.
"My door remains open to the hope that we can still build the partnership with resident doctors I aspired to when I came in a year ago and, in that spirit, I am happy to meet with you early next week."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Exciting' new ‘all-over' scan can detect tiny traces of cancer anywhere in the body
SCIENTISTS have discovered a new way to track blood cancer, even when traditional tests miss it. A whole-body MRI scan can detect tiny traces of myeloma, a deadly blood cancer, and could transform how patients are monitored, experts say. 3 3 The test is radiation-free and can flag hidden cancer cells in the body. This is the case even when blood tests, bone marrow biopsies and CT scans show no signs of disease. Experts said that this scanning technique gives doctors an early warning of relapse and help guide future treatment plans. Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow. Around 6,200 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK. Charity Myeloma UK estimates that there are around 33,000 people living with myeloma in the UK. It can affect many parts of the body and is not curable, but treatment can keep it under control. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, trialled the technique on 70 patients undergoing stem cell transplants. They were all given a whole-body MRI before and after the treatment. Writing in the Blood Cancer Journal, experts said that one in three patients had signs of residual disease on whole-body MRI after treatment - which can be given to patients without the use of radiation. Overall survival was also significantly shorter in those with positive MRI findings. What is myeloma? The Royal Marsden has already adopted the whole-body image technique and it could help shape cancer care for patients around the country in the future. One patient under the treatment of the hospital described how the scanning technique "extended his life" and enabled him to "continue serving" the country. Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan, chief fire officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2009 while serving in the RAF. He has since relapsed twice, but thanks to whole-body MRI scans, his cancer was detected much earlier than would have been possible with a traditional CT scan. The father of three, 57, said: "With the constant threat of relapse, myeloma patients are in a long-term mental battle with this insidious disease. "However, being part of the whole-body MRI scan study at the Royal Marsden allowed my cancer to be closely watched and resulted in me being treated sooner than I would have been under normal protocols. 3 "This not only extended my life but after diagnosis, I returned to flying jets and to active operational duties. "I would eventually not be allowed to fly on medical grounds due to myeloma but paved the way to establishing the first training programme of Ukrainian forces in 2015 and I was called upon to run Nato air operations after the invasion of Ukraine. "This cutting-edge treatment not only extended my life but allowed me to continue serving my country." The 10 red flag symptoms of myeloma Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. Despite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions. While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases. Treatment can lead to periods of remission but the cancer will inevitably come back. Symptoms of myeloma: Persistent or unexplained pain for more than four to six weeks, particularly in the back or ribs Tiredness that doesn't improve with rest (fatigue) Frequent or hard-to-clear infections Easily broken bones or unexpected fractures Experiencing either frequent urination or minimal to no urination Swollen legs or abdomen Nosebleeds or unexplained bleeding or bruising Unexplained weight loss Numbness in the feet, hands, or legs Unexplained shortness of breath Professor Christina Messiou from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This study shows that whole-body MRI gives us valuable information about how well the myeloma has responded to treatment that other tests may miss. "It's exciting that we now have a standardised, non-invasive imaging method that can be used across cancer centres. "Whole-body MRI doesn't involve radiation or intravenous injections, which is important for patients who may require lifelong monitoring. "This is an important step towards smarter and kinder precision diagnostics for patients with cancer" Professor Martin Kaiser, also from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, added: "Access to this gold-standard precision imaging with whole-body MRI has revolutionised care for myeloma patients. "As the treatment options for myeloma increase and factors such as disease distribution across the body are increasingly understood as important to treatment response, the relevance of the whole-body MRI for personalising treatment will only increase over time."
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British woman is trapped in US after breaking her back in horror fall at a summer camp and insurance firm 'refused to pay for her flight home'
A British woman who fell 30ft during a hike has been left trapped in the US with a broken back after her insurance cover to get her home was allegedly turned down. Charlotte Hollins Anderton, from Abergele, north Wales, endured the 'life changing accident' while working her dream job as a summer camp leader in the US. Only July 4, the 23-year-old plummeted 30ft during a hike with children and endured an eight-hour wait for rescue with a fractured spine, two shattered feet and internal bleeding. Following the devastating fall on US Independence Day, Anderton required several operations and intensive care treatment, her family said. A GoFundMe donation page has now been set up to assist in bringing the young woman home, but this comes with a staggering £45,000 price tag. A statement on the fundraising website reads: 'Our beautiful Charlotte was tragically involved in a life changing accident whilst working as a camp leader this summer. 'She has suffered a life threatening fall on the 4th July and has been hospitalised since. Her fall resulted in spinal and foot fractures requiring multiple surgeries, internal bleeding, and admission to the intensive care unit. 'She's also dealing with intense emotional trauma from the fall and it breaks our hearts that we can't be there to help'. The family added that on top of all the 'unimaginable pain and suffering', they have now had to figure out how to bring her back home. 'We were just hit with another worry that her insurance company will not be covering the cost of repatriation from America to back home,' the statement continued. 'She urgently needs to come home for her to access specialist care via the NHS and continue her recovery with family by her side. 'It is because of this that we are reaching out to her friends, and our community around us, to ask if anyone can spare anything to help us with the costs related to her care and journey home. 'Her repatriation currently costs £45,000. We know this is a difficult time financially for so many, and if you are not able to donate, then PLEASE can we ask you to share this far and wide, on your social media and around your work.' The distraught family further explained that they never thought they would find themselves in such a situation, but all they want 'is to have her home'. The statement continued: 'We will be keeping everyone updated every step of the way, and thank you all so much already for your kind words, promises of donations and support. 'It means more to us than you could imagine. Thank you so much.' It comes after a young British holidaymaker died in hospital after plunging from a supermarket carpark in Ibiza last month. The 25-year-old fell from the Mercadona in the resort of San Antonio at around 8pm on July 14. The tourist was left fighting for his life in an intensive care unit at a private island hospital, but succumbed to his injuries the following day. And Keiran Thomas, 25, from Bangor, north Wales, died after falling from his hotel balcony in Malta on the night of July 11. A medical team were called to Triq Spinola at around 4.15am, where they discovered Thomas' lifeless body on the ground outside of the building. Thomas' heartbroken father, Alan Hughes, told the BBC that the family were thankful for the supportive messages they had received from members of the public. He also shared that his son, who had a twin brother, was working as a software engineer at the time of his death, with 'a promising career ahead of him'.
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
World-first gonorrhoea vaccine rolled out by NHS today to tackle surging STI levels – are you eligible?
THE world's first gonorrhoea vaccine programme is being rolled out in England today by the NHS, in the hope of curbing surging levels of the STI. Health chiefs reckon the scheme could prevent up to 100,000 cases of the disease. 1 The jab will be available free of charge at local sexual health clinics to people deemed at highest risk of catching gonorrhoea. This includes gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners and a bacterial STI in the previous 12 months. Patients will receive an existing jab - the 4CMenB vaccine for meningitis B - which has been found to nearly halve the chances of catching gonorrhoea in adults. The jab is already routinely given to babies to protect them from MenB, but its protection wears off as they grow up. Vaccination could also head off growing concerns about superbug versions of the infection, which are resistant to antibiotics. Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said: "This vaccine is already used to protect against Men B and is proven to be effective against gonorrhoea, preventing the spread of infection and reducing the rising rates of antibiotic-resistant strains." Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton added: "Rolling out this world-leading gonorrhoea vaccination programme in sexual health clinics in England represents a major breakthrough in preventing an infection that has reached record levels. "This government's world-first vaccination programme will help turn the tide on infections, as well as tackling head-on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. "I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination, to protect not only yourselves but also your sexual partners." Patients getting the gonorrhoea vaccine will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B at their appointment. The programme rollout comes as gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest levels since records began in 1918. In 2023, a record 85,000 cases of the disease were reported in England — three times higher than in 2012. There's also been a concerning rise in "extensively drug resistant" gonorrhoea cases, sparking fear the STI could soon become "untreatable". Gonorrhoea is usually treated with a single dose of the antibiotic ceftriaxone, given as an injection or tablets at GP surgeries or a sexual health clinics. But in some cases this isn't effective, as the bacteria has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic. Since first being detected in England in 2015, 42 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea have been reported. Fifteen of these cases were extensively drug-resistant. "Although numbers remain low, cases are being detected more frequently," the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously said. Consultant epidemiologist UKHSA, Dr Sema Mandal called the gonorrhoea jab programme "hugely welcome". "We're currently seeing very concerning numbers of gonorrhoea, including even more worryingly antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea," she said. "The vaccine will give much needed protection to those that need it most - making the UK a world leader in the fight against gonorrhoea. "And it's excellent to see that at the same time other important vaccines will continue to be offered in sexual health services to those eligible, protecting against mpox, hepatitis A and B, and HPV. "Sexually transmitted infections aren't just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and your sexual partners, so if offered I strongly urge you to get these jabs, you'll be protecting yourself as well as others. Don't put it off and regret it later." Along with protecting thousands of people from the STI, health chiefs say the scheme will save the NHS more than £7.9 million over the next decade. Gonorrhoea is an STI that's passed on through unprotected sex. Many people do not have any symptoms but if it is left untreated it can spread and lead to infertility. Getting the STI during pregnancy can increase your risk of premature birth and your baby having a low birth weight. There's also a risk the infection could spread to your baby's eyes during birth, which causes blindness if it's not treated with antibiotics. Symptoms of gonorrhoea Typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include: A thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis Pain when urinating Pain and discomfort in the rectum Lower abdominal pain and bleeding between periods in women and other people with a uterus or ovaries Gonorrhoea can affect other parts of your body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid. This can cause: Pain, itching and discharge from your bottom A sore throat Eye redness, pain and discharge However, many people infected with gonorrhoea will have no symptoms, especially for infections in the throat, vagina or rectum. This lack of symptoms makes it important to test regularly when having sex with new or casual partners. If you do get symptoms, they usually start around two weeks after infection, although they sometimes do not appear until many months later. Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to serious health complications including: Infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) An infection of the female reproductive system, which includes the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries An infection in the testicles or prostate Having gonorrhoea during pregnancy can increase your risk of premature birth and your baby having a low birth weight. There's also a risk the infection could spread to your baby's eyes during birth, which is called gonococcal conjunctivitis. This can cause blindness if it's not treated with antibiotics.
