Doctors In England Begin Longest Conservative Strike In NHS History

Published

11 months ago

January 3, 2024

Hospital doctors in England on Wednesday begin their longest consecutive strike in the seven-decade history of Britain’s National Health Service.

Junior doctors, those below consultant level, will walk out for six days in a major escalation of their long-running pay dispute with the United Kingdom government.

The industrial action comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the state-funded NHS, when it faces increased pressure from winter respiratory illnesses.

It also quickly follows a three-day strike held by doctors just before Christmas.

The NHS said the latest walkout, which could see up to half of the medical workforce on picket lines, would have “a significant impact on almost all routine care.”

“This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced,” said its national medical director, Stephen Powis.

The strike starts at 7:00 am (0700 GMT) and is due to end at the same time on Tuesday, January 9.

The British Medical Association announced the walkout in December after a breakdown in talks with the government.

The union said junior doctors have been offered a 3 percent rise on top of the average 8.8 percent increase they were given earlier this year.

It rejected the offer because the cash would be split unevenly across different doctor grades and “still amount to pay cuts for many doctors.”

Junior doctors have gone on strike at least seven times since March.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hospital leaders have criticised the action.

Health policy is a devolved matter for the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the UK government overseeing England.

Junior doctors in Wales will walk out for 72 hours from January 15.

Those in Northern Ireland have voted for potential strike action.

Their Scottish counterparts have struck a deal with the government in Edinburgh.

The NHS typically sees a rise in the number of people in hospital two weeks after Christmas, due to people delaying seeking treatment to spend the festive season with loved ones.

The service is already facing huge backlogs in waiting times for appointments and surgery, blamed on treatment postponement during Covid but also years of underfunding.

Credit: AFP

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JUST IN: Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty In Alleged N110bn Fraud Case

Published

27 mins ago

November 27, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his alleged involvement in a N110 billion fraud.

Bello was arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

The former Kogi governor had been declared wanted by the EFCC in April 2024.

More to come…

Post Views: 22

BIG STORY

Alleged N110bn Fraud: Yahaya Bello Arrives FCT High Court For Trial

Published

1 hour ago

November 27, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, has arrived at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja for his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bello is expected to be arraigned over an alleged fraud amounting to N110 billion.

The ex-governor was arrested by EFCC operatives on November 26.

In April, the commission declared Bello wanted after multiple attempts to arrest him were unsuccessful.

In September, Bello responded to the EFCC’s invitation, accompanied by Usman Ododo, the current Kogi governor.

Bello and Ododo were at the EFCC’s Abuja office car park, but Bello was not taken in on that day.

On August 20, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered Bello to surrender himself for arraignment.

Ola Olukoyede, EFCC chairman, later alleged that Bello withdrew $720,000 from Kogi’s coffers to pay his child’s school fees in advance.

The anti-graft agency also filed a 19-count charge against Bello over alleged money laundering.

However, the arraignment had been delayed due to the former governor’s absence.

Post Views: 10

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Again, Police Arrest Speed Darlington During Show In Imo State

Published

2 hours ago

November 27, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested Nigerian musician Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

The singer’s counsel and human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the arrest in a post on his official X page on Wednesday.

Adeyanju revealed that his client was detained while performing at a show in Owerri, just days after returning to Nigeria earlier in the week.

He wrote, “Our client, Speed Darlington, a.k.a AKPI, has been arrested by the Nigeria Police in Owerri at his show upon return to Nigeria.”

However, the exact reason for the singer’s arrest remains unclear at the time of filing this report.

It is worth noting that the Nigeria Police had previously arrested Darlington over allegations of cyberstalking fellow musician Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy.

Darlington was initially arrested in Lagos, then transferred to Abuja, where he was detained by the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team in the Guzape area of the city.

The musician, who faced accusations of cyberstalking Burna Boy, was later released on bail days after his arrest.

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