News

Original reporting and the latest political headlines from across the UK.

Our Articles

Mainstream Headlines

Filtering by:Tag: healthcare×Source: The Guardian Politics×Clear all

54 headlines found — Page 3 of 5

The Guardian Politics5 Apr 2026

NHS urges patients not to put off care as doctors in England prepare for strike

People encouraged to ‘come forward as normal’ when BMA members begin industrial action over pay on Tuesday The NHS is urging patients not to put off seeking the care they need when resident doctors press ahead with strike action from Tuesday, a stoppage that the health secretary has called “disappointing”. Tens of thousands of resident doctors in England are to stage a six-day strike after the government took a key part of its offer off the table. Continue reading...

DefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics4 Apr 2026

Unions privately voice misgivings over BMA pay demands and doctors’ strikes

Senior figures express concerns over medical union’s refusal of pay rise that is higher than offer to other NHS staff Trade unions have privately expressed qualms about the forthcoming doctors’ strikes, expressing frustration at the conduct of the talks and the demands of the British Medical Association. The BMA is pushing for a pay rise higher than the 3.5% offered to doctors by the government, with strikes planned for next week. Continue reading...

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics3 Apr 2026

Young people ‘more likely to leave for health reasons when in low-paid, insecure jobs’

Research for TUC analyses link between job quality and economic inactivity, as UK youth unemployment rises Young people in the UK are more likely to leave their job for health reasons and become economically inactive when they work in insecure, low-paid sectors, a study has found. Research carried out for the Trades Union Congress by the consultancy Timewise charts a connection between the jobs young people are most likely to do – in hospitality, retail and care, for example – and the proportion

EconomyHealthcare
The Guardian Politics2 Apr 2026

UK drug exports to US spared tariffs under deal critics say will cost NHS billions

‘Partnership’ on drug pricing also gives patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending treatments British drug exports to the United States will escape tariffs imposed by Donald Trump as part of a controversial UK-US medicines deal that critics fear will mean less money for the NHS. The deal will also give patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending drugs because the rules have been relaxed to allow the NHS to pay more for particular treatments. Continue

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics2 Apr 2026

Streeting hits out at BMA ‘delusion’ as talks to avert resident doctors’ strike fail

Six-day stoppage in England next week to go ahead and minister confirms offer of extra training places withdrawn The NHS is bracing for the longest strike yet by resident doctors after last-ditch talks failed, prompting Wes Streeting to accuse the medics of suffering from “delusion”. Many thousands of resident – formerly junior – doctors across England will stage a six-day stoppage over pay and jobs starting at 7am on Tuesday, just after the Easter weekend. A deadline for agreement ended on Thur

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics1 Apr 2026

Resident doctors accuse Keir Starmer of sabotaging talks to end pay and jobs dispute

British Medical Association leaders say PM’s threat to axe posts makes strike action more likely Resident doctors have accused Keir Starmer of damaging the prospects of a deal to end their pay and jobs dispute by threatening to axe 1,000 new jobs for medics in the NHS. The claim from the British Medical Association leaders came just before the Thursday deadline given by the prime minister for the union to accept the government’s final offer. Continue reading...

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics31 Mar 2026

Two-thirds of UK hospitality businesses plan to cut jobs and one in seven will close, survey finds

Sector cites ‘billions of pounds in additional costs’ from new business rates and increase in minimum wage thresholds Two-thirds of hospitality businesses are planning to cut jobs as a result of “suffocating” costs imposed by government, as new business rates and higher wage bills come into force. Many pubs, restaurants and hotel companies will see their costs increase significantly from 1 April after Rachel Reeves’s changes to business rates and an increase in minimum wage thresholds announced

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics31 Mar 2026

BMA to ballot senior doctors in England over strikes as pay dispute escalates

Union says there has been ‘far too little progress’ in talks over pay and career development UK politics live – latest updates Senior doctors in England are to be balloted over the prospect of strikes, the British Medical Association has announced. The union said that simultaneous ballots of consultants and specialist, associate specialist, and speciality (SAS) doctors would run from 11 May to 6 July as both sets of medics escalate their disputes with the government. Continue reading...

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics31 Mar 2026

Palantir’s UK boss criticises ‘ideological’ groups as ministers move to scrap NHS contract

Louis Mosley says government should resist calls to trigger break clause in £330m deal with US analytics company UK politics live – latest updates Palantir’s UK boss has urged the government not to give in to “ideologically motivated campaigners” as government ministers explore a way out of a £330m NHS contract with the tech company. Ministers have sought advice on triggering a break clause in Palantir’s deal to deliver the Federated Data Platform (FDP), amid questions over the company’s prese

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics31 Mar 2026

BMA dismisses Starmer’s 48-hour warning over resident doctors’ strike plan – UK politics live

Prime minister threatens to withdraw NHS training posts for residents doctors if they don’t call off strike The grooming gangs inquiry will directly examine whether ethnicity, culture or religion influenced offending and whether they shaped the institutional response, the Press Association reports. Good morning. Keir Starmer is chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee later to discuss the Iran war, but domestic issues don’t go away and he (or, to be more accurate, his sta

PoliticsDefenceHealthcare
The Guardian Politics31 Mar 2026

Keir Starmer gives resident doctors 48 hours to call off strike or lose offer

PM says decision by union to reject offer including thousands of extra training posts and 7.1% pay rise without putting it to members for a vote is ‘reckless’ Keir Starmer has threatened to withdraw an offer of thousands of extra NHS training posts if resident doctors do not call off a six-day strike after Easter. The prime minister has given the doctors’ union, the British Medical Association, 48 hours to ditch its plans for industrial action or the government will pull the current offer from t

HousingHealthcare
The Guardian Politics29 Mar 2026

NHS restructure is greatest danger to Streeting’s effort to revive service

Health secretary still confident of success but critics say scrapping of NHS England has been ‘a total car crash’ NHS to miss targets for cutting A&E wait times and performance in England In the Great Hall at the University of East London last Wednesday, the perennially upbeat Wes Streeting was exuding even greater positivity than usual. After years of neglect under the Conservatives, he said, the NHS was starting to revive thanks to Labour’s medicine. In a bravura performance in front of an a

EducationHealthcare