Latest news with #appointments
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Strike-hit appointments will take two weeks to rearrange, says NHS chief
Appointments that are cancelled because of strikes will take two weeks to rearrange, according to an NHS chief. Prof Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director (secondary care), claimed on Saturday that hospitals would 'trust their best to get appointments rescheduled within two weeks'. Up to 50,000 junior doctors, now known as resident doctors, joined a five-day walkout from 7am on Friday, in a fight for a 29 per cent pay rise. More than 1.5 million appointments and operations have been postponed because of NHS walkouts since 2022. Prof Pandit told BBC Breakfast on Saturday morning: 'If there's any rescheduling or postponement of surgery or appointments then the hospitals try their upmost best to get that appointment rescheduled within two weeks. 'I know it is distressing and even two weeks is too long for somebody to wait and actually that has an impact on the people who who are then displaced at that two week period.' Prof Pandit said there were three 'derogations' granted on Friday, a process which allows hospitals to request striking doctors return to work if there is a risk to patient safety. Nottingham City Hospital reached an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) to exempt one doctor from the strike to work on the neonatal intensive care unit. A derogation was agreed for one doctor in the emergency department and another doctor in the ISGM at the Northern General Hospital. The BMA said it had also agreed a derogation for two anaesthetists to work at University Hospital Lewisham on Saturday to ensure patient safety. It comes as Wes Streeting said 'we are doing everything we can to minimise' patient harm. The Health Secretary condemned the strike as 'reckless' and said the Government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'. Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would 'cause real damage'. He added: ' Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage. 'These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery.' The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20 per cent since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. Dr Tom Dolphin, the BMA council chairman, said he was 'disappointed' to see the Government 'taking such a hard line against unions', after The Telegraph revealed Mr Streeting told NHS Leaders strikes should not be 'pain free' for doctors. The BMA claimed the Health Secretary's remarks indicated the Government could be 'intent on breaking blacklisting laws by stopping resident doctors who take part in industrial action from picking up shifts afterwards'. In previous strikes, junior doctors, who now go by the name of resident doctors, have been able to earn large sums by getting overtime rates to clear backlogs, while others have worked as locums during walkouts. Medics have also been able to continue up the ranks despite missing training during strikes. But the NHS will now change stance on both, with hospitals requiring more doctors to work during strikes in order to protect patient safety. Doctors will also be warned that repeated absence from the front line could slow their career progression. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Dr Dolphin said: 'It's very disappointing to see a Labour government taking such a hard line against trade unions. 'The settlement last year was a good move by the Labour Government. The problem is they've gone back on their position since then. They're talking about punishing the trade union, talking about punishing doctors, holding them back in their training, making sure that they don't get locum shifts, that kind of thing. 'People are talking about that – which, of course, is not legal. And if we find cases of people being held to detriment for having taken part in strikes, we'll be fighting their case for them. It's just disappointing to hear that kind of rhetoric coming from a Labour administration.' A spokesman for the Department for Health and Social Care said the Government supported NHS workers' right to strike, saying: 'The Government is committed to upholding the legal rights of all workers, including NHS staff, to take industrial action. 'The BMA's choice to pursue five days of strike action will cause harm for patients and staff having to cover absent resident doctors. It is irresponsible to walk out after the largest pay increase in the public sector, while talks were ongoing about conditions that would have had a material financial benefit to their members.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
NHS: Strike-hit appointments to be rebooked in two weeks but will impact others
NHS England has said hospitals are aiming to reschedule appointments cancelled due to strikes within two weeks, but warned of knock-on impacts for other patients. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director (secondary care), said that despite the five-day walkout by thousands of resident doctors in England, which began on Friday, local trusts have managed to maintain services with 'minimal disruption'. She told BBC Breakfast: 'If there's any rescheduling or postponement of surgery or appointments then the hospitals try their upmost best to get that appointment rescheduled within two weeks. 'I know it is distressing and even two weeks is too long for somebody to wait and actually that has an impact on the people who who are then displaced at that two week period.' Prof Pandit said there were three 'derogations' granted on Friday, a process which allows hospitals to request striking doctors return to work if there is a risk to patient safety. Nottingham City Hospital reached an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) to exempt one doctor from the strike to work on the neonatal intensive care unit. A derogation was agreed for one doctor in the emergency department and another doctor in the ISGM at the Northern General Hospital. The BMA said it had also agreed a derogation for two anaesthetists to work at University Hospital Lewisham on Saturday to ensure patient safety. It comes as Wes Streeting said 'we are doing everything we can to minimise' patient harm. The Health Secretary condemned the strike as 'reckless' and said the Government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'. Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would 'cause real damage'. He added: 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage… 'These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery.' The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
250,000 missed appointments and an £87million bill for the NHS: The crippling cost to patients forecast for five-day doctors' strike
Strikes by doctors could cause 250,000 NHS appointments to be cancelled or postponed this month, a report warns. The walkouts may also cost the NHS £87million in staffing cover, a think-tank has said. Resident doctors – previously known as junior doctors – will strike for five days from Friday in pursuit of a 29 per cent pay rise. Charities have expressed their 'deep concern' at the action and warned it will cause 'significant distress, pain and worsening health for patients'. Now the Policy Exchange think-tank has estimated the 'considerable' impact it is likely to have on waiting lists and NHS finances. Consultants will be able to cash-in by charging hospitals inflated rates of up to £2,504 a shift to cover for absent junior colleagues, depleting trusts of funds that could have been used to buy new scanners, repair buildings or deliver more procedures. The British Medical Association is further demanding hospitals pay consultants £6,000 to provide on-call cover for striking colleagues. But there is still unlikely to be enough doctors to provide a full service, meaning bosses will be forced to cancel some appointments. Resident doctors have crippled the NHS by taking industrial action 11 times since 2022. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described the BMA's behaviour as 'shockingly irresponsible' and insisted he will not budge on pay If strikes occur at the same rate over the next six months, Policy Exchange estimates more than two million appointments could be affected. It also puts the cost of providing consultant cover at £17.5million a day, totalling £367.46million over the same period. The figures come just days after an investigation revealed coroners' reports had linked at least five patient deaths to junior doctor strikes in 2023/24. Resident doctors belonging to the BMA have voted to walkout for up to six months despite receiving above inflation pay rises for the past three years, worth an extra 28.9 per cent in total. This includes an inflation-busting rise this year of 5.4 per cent, which is the most generous in the public sector. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described the BMA's behaviour as 'shockingly irresponsible' and insisted he will not budge on pay. Policy Exchange estimates that strikes could reduce inpatient activity for the month of July by 4.5 per cent and outpatient activity by 8.7 per cent, threatening NHS England's ability to meet its target of treating 65 per cent of patients within 18 weeks from next spring. The report also suggest strikes could make it 'impossible' for the Prime Minister to deliver on his pledge to reach a target of 92 per cent by the next election. The analysis assumes a similar level of disruption as in previous strikes. Former Tory health secretary Victoria Atkins welcomed the Policy Exchange's report, named 'Completely Unreasonable': The Possible Impact of the BMA Resident Doctor Committee's Proposed Industrial Action. She said: 'As Labour changes the law to make it easier for unions to call strikes, this sort of action will only become more likely.' Mr Streeting and the BMA are due to meet this week. It is understood other ways to boost doctors' finances, such as changes to student loans and pensions are being examined. Fewer than half of resident doctors entitled to vote in the latest BMA ballot backed action. The Mail approached the BMA and the health department for comment.
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia appoints new chief justice, but judicial crisis is not over yet
Malaysia on Friday named Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as its new chief justice, ending weeks of uncertainty over the country's top judicial post. However, his past political ties, including to former prime minister Najib Razak , have raised concerns about judicial independence. Advertisement The Court of Appeal judge was named Malaysia's 11th chief justice in a government statement released just after midnight, alongside Abu Bakar Jais as president of the Court of Appeal and Azizah Nawawi as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, filling three of the judiciary's most senior vacancies. Their appointments follow a Wednesday meeting of the Conference of Rulers, a council of state sultans and governors whose role is to scrutinise the nominations. Abu Bakar Jais is Malaysia's new Court of Appeal president. Photo: Malaysian Judiciary 'The ceremony of presenting the letters of appointment and taking and signing the oath of office and allegiance before the king will be held on July 28 at the Istana Negara,' said the statement from the chief registrar of the Federal Court.
CNA
18-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
PM Anwar's surprise picks for top posts in Malaysia's judiciary get royal consent
KUALA LUMPUR: The much-anticipated announcement for top leadership positions in the judiciary came in the early hours of Friday (Jul 18) after Malaysia's King Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim officially consented to the surprise promotion of two judges nominated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The Chief Registrar of the Federal Court said in a statement issued shortly after midnight that Justice Wan Farid Wan Salleh and Justice Abu Bakar Jais have been appointed as Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal. The statement added that Justice Azizah Nawawi will also be taking over as Chief Judge for the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak from Justice Abdul Rahman Selbi who is set to retire. The new judges will be sworn in at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on July 28. The announcement brings to an end the controversy sweeping the judiciary over alleged political interference in top appointments following the retirement of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and President of the Court of Appeal Abang Iskandar Abang Ismail earlier this month after both justices reached their retirement age of 66. As reported earlier by CNA, the lingering crisis over the top judicial appointment took a fresh twist on Thursday (July 17) when the three-day meeting of the Conference of Rulers ended without any announcement. Anwar had said on Tuesday that the rulers would be making the announcement on Wednesday, a move he hoped would 'dispel negative perceptions' on the delay in the judiciary appointments and alleged political interference in the process. Further uncertainty followed after the Sultan of Selangor, who ranks as the most senior monarch in the Conference of Rulers and the chairman of this week's proceedings, issued a statement urging the public not to speculate on the anticipated judicial appointments. 'The process provided for under the Federal Constitution must be carried out transparently and carefully, in order to uphold the rule of law and support the principles of justice that form the core of governance in this country,' the Sultan of Selangor said. 'In this connection, all parties are urged to refrain from making any speculation or unfounded accusations without complete and verified facts.' Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said in the statement. Both top new appointments were largely unexpected as Wan Farid and Abu Bakar were not among the candidates considered by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), a high-powered panel that nominates suitable judges for high office to the premier. Lawyers had expected the promotions of Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, who is currently the Chief Judge of the High Court Malaya, and Federal Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof, to take over as Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal respectively. Both were appointed to acting capacities for the top two positions earlier this month. NEW APPOINTMENTS OFFER STABILITY Anwar' decision to promote the two low-profile judges to top positions in the judiciary has been viewed by analysts and lawyers as aiming to defuse, temporarily at least, rising political temperatures over allegations that his government was attempting to wield greater influence over the institution. Anwar has been battling growing public pressure over allegations that his government was interfering in the senior appointments of leadership in the judiciary and that he was at odds with certain members of the JAC. Under laws governing the appointment of top judges, the nine-member JAC - which was established in 2009 - proposes qualified jurists to the prime minister, who makes a final decision based on the recommendations. His decision is then put up for endorsement by heads of the country's royal households who make up the Conference of Rulers. In recent weeks, Anwar has come under heavy criticisms over concerns that he would turn his back on the recommendations of the JAC and nominate judges favourable to his government. Growing public anger was largely due to widespread speculation that Anwar was considering Federal Court judge Terrirudin Mohd Salleh, the country's former Attorney General, for higher office. Terrirudin, who was widely seen as a front-runner for one of the top positions in the judiciary, has been at the centre of the political storm whipped up by the crisis in the judiciary. Last weekend, purported leaked confidential minutes of a JAC meeting in May alleged that his conduct as a judge raised serious questions about his suitability for high office in the judiciary. Lawyers noted that Wan Farid and Abu Bakar, given their age, will offer stability for the next three years in the leadership of the judiciary, where judges must retire when they reach the age of 66. Like her two other colleagues, Azizah, who will take over as Chief Judge for the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, is also 63 years of age. The appointment of Wan Farid represents a major promotion from the Court of Appeal to the Federal Court. A former politician from the long-established United Malays National Organisation, Wan Farid retired from politics and was appointed as a judge to the High Court in August 2018 before being elevated to the Court of Appeal in November last year. Abu Bakar was appointed a judge to the High Court in July 2013, before being promoted to the Federal Court two years ago.
