In less than two week’s time, the first in a series of three strikes by junior doctors planned for this December is due to take place. Authorised by the British Medical Association, these short but unprecedented strikes increase in severity with the second and third being more comprehensive than the first. Unless avoided, the 1st… [Read More]
Negotiations between Jeremy Hunt and the British Medical Association regarding junior doctors’ pay, which have now lasted for over two years, have failed. Matters turned particularly ugly recently with junior doctors taking to the streets to protest against the imposition of a new contract following the BMA’s refusal to attend meetings with ministers, the reasons… [Read More]
When David Cameron criticised the Norwegian model for Brexit last week, many voices in the leave campaign expressed confusion or disdain. The main contenders to lead the leave effort, VoteLeave and Leave.EU, both already advocated different exit strategies. So when Cameron, speaking at the Northern Future Forum in Reykjavik, pointed out perceived flaws in the… [Read More]
Calderstones is a 223 bed hospital specialising in care for those with learning disabilities and is the only one remaining with this specialisation in the UK. Its closure has just been announced for next June. This decision follows the BBC’s 2011 Panorama investigation into Winterbourne View, which uncovered extraordinary levels of patient abuse. Its closure… [Read More]
David Cameron’s intervention yesterday into the arguments surrounding Britain leaving the EU has prompted a discussion on which trading model would be the best fit. As Eurosceptics continue to flesh out the different options, it is important to remember that these are just models and not structures that would be applied directly to the UK.… [Read More]
In its advice to Government Public Health England (PHE) argued for a tax on sugar. It claimed, rather limply, that this might be effective “in the short term”. Given that taxes are rarely reduced or abolished, if the best evidence is only of short-term effect then fiscal measures are unlikely to be the best course… [Read More]
I wrote last week that, following the Stronger In launch and appointment of Lord Rose as leader, the EU In campaign ran a serious risk of coming across as elitist, blinkered, focussed almost entirely on business economics. This worryingly implied important issues would be ignored: voters could find the river of trade statistics and investment… [Read More]
The Care Quality Commission’s ‘State of Health Care and Adult Social Care’ report has compounded the woes made apparent in last week’s announcement that NHS trusts have accumulated £1 billion of deficit in the first three months of this year. The independent health and social care regulator’s report has identified inadequate safety practices in three… [Read More]
As of this week, the EU ‘In’ and ‘Out’ campaigns have all launched in Britain, kick-starting the EU debate amongst the British public ahead of the referendum. Prime Minister David Cameron has not come down on either side; this is perhaps because he is straddling the two, hoping that the growing threat of Brexit might… [Read More]
The major EU remain and leave campaigns are now running. Last week saw the launch of Vote Leave, the pro-exit organisation that unites Business for Britain, Labour for Britain and Conservatives for Britain. This follows Leave.EU, the campaign funded by major Ukip donor Arron Banks. On Monday the cross-party pro-EU campaign began with the announcement… [Read More]