Plus: Lung cancer warning for foods which make up 'half the average diet'
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Wednesday marked the end of the latest resident doctors' strike – five days of mud-slinging and metaphorical punches thrown. Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England's chief, made some pointed remarks on Tuesday, signalling a noticeable shift in tone from within the NHS. Could the government be facing a winter of discontent? More on that below. You might remember last year's supermarket sandwich scare, when products were pulled from shelves over E.coli fears. Now, the UK Health Security Agency has issued a fresh warning: cases of the deadly Shiga toxin-producing E.coli rose by 26 per cent in 2024. Elsewhere, earlier this year I covered the cautious optimism surrounding Alzheimer's drugs and their potential to prevent dementia. This week, reports emerged of a new treatment being described as a "game changer." And finally, the funeral of Ozzy Osbourne took place yesterday. The heavy metal legend had been living with a rare form Parkinson's for more than 20 years. It is a disease that my colleague Julia Musto has explored in-depth here. See you next week. |
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| By Ahmed Elbediwy and Nadine Wehida | |
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Warnings have been issued that the government could face ongoing strikes through to Christmas if no deal is reached with resident doctors. It's interesting that the British Medical Association, the union representing doctors, has now added a new point of dispute – was the focus on pay alone not resonating strongly enough with members? If there are any resident doctors out there – whether you're pro-strike or against – who'd be open to speaking, do get in touch. I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on the union's approach. Email me at rebecca.thomas@independent.co.uk. From conversations with hospital chiefs around the country, it seems the NHS coped better this time around. We're likely to see fewer cancellations when the data is published today – though of course, some disruption was inevitable. |
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| The Independent understands the BMA demanded that consultants who were asked to step in to cover strikes be paid thousands of pounds to cover a single night shift |
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Having reported on previous rounds, the tone this time has been far more adversarial – especially from the NHS side. While NHS leaders were previously reluctant to openly criticise the BMA or its members, this time the comments have been strikingly direct. Health secretary Wes Streeting also weighed in yesterday, accusing doctors of squandering the government's goodwill in a strongly worded letter – though he did, in the same breath, agree to a meeting next week. It's easy to see how the public might feel torn over who to support, or what to believe. While the BMA has said its core concern remains pay, on Wednesday it added a new formal dispute: that resident doctors are struggling to get into specialist training roles. This has long been a source of frustration – but again, addressing it in full will come with a price tag. |
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Is 7,000 steps a day a realistic health goal? |
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Last week, the spotlight was once again on resident doctors and their demand for a 29 per cent pay rise. When we asked readers what they thought, 49 per cent said current salaries are reasonable given the pressures on NHS budgets. A further 25 per cent felt doctors could be paid more, but that a 29 per cent increase is too high. The remaining 26 per cent said junior doctors deserve significantly more pay, especially after years of inflation. Meanwhile, a new study suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day could be enough to ward off a range of serious illnesses – offering a more achievable target than the widely publicised 10,000-step goal. Do you think 7,000 is enough? Cast your vote in this week's poll above. | |
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