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121 headlines found — Page 8 of 11

The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Doctors’ leader claims new reduced pay offer killed chances of ending strikes in England

Exclusive: Deal for resident doctors was in sight when sudden change by ministers forced latest action, says Jack Fletcher Ministers killed the chance to end strikes by resident doctors when they suddenly reduced the amount of money they were offering to secure the peace deal, the doctors’ leader claims. Dr Jack Fletcher accused the government of “playing games” and forcing resident doctors to embark on their 15th strike over pay and jobs, which is disrupting the NHS this week. Continue reading

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics10 Apr 2026

Both doctors and the government are handling this strike badly – that’s why there is no end in sight | Polly Toynbee

With the BMA making ‘impossible’ demands and Labour responding with Trumpian threats, negotiations are stuck – and it’s the NHS that will suffer What’s the off-ramp? When I ask one of the negotiating team close to the health secretary, the bleak answer is, “I don’t know.” Resident doctors in England are on another strike, for six days this time. Labour arrived in office bearing a 22.3% pay rise to end the strike it inherited – and it thought it was all over. But within a year, doctors were out a

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics8 Apr 2026

Alarm in health service over Palantir staff being given NHS email accounts

Exclusive: Sources believe AI tech company’s engineers have been granted access to directory of up to 1.5m staff UK politics live – latest updates Health service staff have expressed alarm that engineers working for controversial tech company Palantir have been given NHS email accounts. Employees using NHS.net email accounts have access to a directory with the contact details of up 1.5 million staff. Sources believe Palantir staff were granted the same access. Continue reading...

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics7 Apr 2026

British Medical Association accused of hypocrisy as its own staff strike over pay

Union rejected 4.9% pay rise for resident doctors, who are on six-day strike, but offered its own staff 2.75% The British Medical Association has been accused of the “height of hypocrisy” for offering its own staff below-inflation pay rises while demanding a 26% increase for resident doctors. Tens of thousands of medics walked out of the NHS in England on Tuesday, the 15th time they have staged industrial action since March 2023 in their campaign for “full pay restoration”. Continue reading...

EconomyHealthcare
The Guardian Politics7 Apr 2026

Resident doctors begin longest strike yet as Streeting accuses BMA of hypocrisy over pay – UK politics live

The health secretary and the BMA trade accusations over who bears responsibility for the collapse of talks Good morning. Resident doctors in English hospitals started a six-day strike at 7am this morning. Many of them will continue to work, but there will be enough of them joining the strike to have a significant impact on the care hospitals can deliver. It is the 15th resident doctors (who used to be known as junior doctors) have been on stage since they launched a campaign in 2023 to get their

PoliticsHealthcare
The Guardian Politics7 Apr 2026

Resident doctors’ strike has torpedoed pay rises and training posts, says Wes Streeting

Exclusive: Health secretary says industrial action in England also threatens to derail NHS progress on waiting times Wes Streeting has accused resident doctors of “torpedoing” their own pay rises and training jobs by walking out on strike again, as tens of thousands of doctors began a six-day stoppage in England. The health secretary said there was a “legitimacy” to concerns over jobs and wages but that the British Medical Association had scuppered any chance of a breakthrough when it rejected w

Healthcare
The Guardian Politics7 Apr 2026

‘It’s heartbreaking’: resident doctors in England face halt on new training posts

Withdrawal of additional speciality training roles amid strike deadlock has left some doctors with uncertain future After almost two years on the NHS frontline as a resident doctor, Heather Gunn says she is bracing herself for unemployment. Like many of her colleagues, she was desperate to secure one of the up to 4,500 additional training posts the government agreed to introduce in England over three years to help doctors progress into more specialised fields. The posts were promised in negotiat

Healthcare
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