NHS Data: Government misses target of eliminating 18-month waits for routine treatment in England The government and NHS leaders have made it a top priority to cut elective care waiting times. But today's numbers paint a mixed picture. Despite prioritising the service, overall waiting lists have reached a new record of 7.33 million. That's up 110,000, the biggest month-on-month increase since August last year. A key NHS target was to eliminate 18-month waits by April. That has been missed, but they are getting close. In September 2021, there were almost 125,000 patients waiting a year and a half. That is now down to almost 10,000. Half of those remaining are at just 10 NHS trusts. The NHS says part of the reason for missing targets is the unprecedented industrial action seen over the past six months. We've had to reschedule around 500,000 appointments over the period of ...

Summary: NHS patients face prolonged wait times for elective surgeries due to industrial action and other contributing factors. Tens of thousands of routine operations and procedures are canceled or delayed during strikes, exacerbating the waiting list crisis. Efforts to reduce waiting times and recover from the pandemic's impact are hindered by ongoing industrial action . ...

Summary: Hospital consultants in England strike for the first time in ten years, demanding better pay and improved working conditions. The government's acceptance of the 6% pay review body recommendation is seen as inadequate by consultants, who are facing a 35% pay erosion over the last 15 years. Trust leaders express concern over the potential impact of the strike on patient care, with nearly three-quarters of a million appointments canceled in the past eight months due to industrial action. ...

Tata Group to Invest £4 Billion in UK Electric Car Battery Factory, Creating Thousands of Jobs Summary: Tata Group announces £4 billion investment in a new UK electric car battery factory. The investment is expected to create thousands of jobs and make the factory one of Europe's largest battery production facilities. Chancellor Rishi Sunak praises the investment as a 'fantastic vote of confidence' in the UK economy. Factors influencing Tata's decision include the quality of skilled workers, the competitive tax regime, and supportive government policies. The location of the Gigafactory is yet to be disclosed. Prime Minister remai...

Summary: Concerns raised over the Bibby Stockholm barge being exploited by smugglers to encourage illegal crossings. Kelvin MacKenzie highlights the disparity between facilities offered to migrants and local homeless populations. Neil Parrish acknowledges the need for reasonable facilities for asylum seekers while recognizing local concerns. Kim Rye strongly opposes the current arrangements, viewing the barge as an invitation for more illegal crossings. Experts and public figu...

Eurovision 2023: Decision to ban Volodymyr Zelenskyy from making address 'disappointing' So, very good morning to you, and I do want to talk about Eurovision in just a moment. But before we get on to that, a couple of stories around today that I want to ask you about. Firstly, comments by the former Conservative Home Secretary, Preeti Patel today, saying that Rishi Sunak needs to offer more hope and optimism for conservatism, or she says he risks presiding over a managed decline of the party and defeat of the next election. Is she right? So, you know, I have a marginal seat. I am reliant on the grassroots of the party to help me. They are determined, as I am, and I think most people within the party, to support the Prime Minister in the endeavours that he has to try and grow the economy and tackle the issues that are the people's priorities. So, I think what they want us t...

Boris Johnson nominates his Dad for knighthood Quite astonishingly, there is something at the bottom of this story that I want to discuss because it is, I don't know any way to talk about it, except to say something that rhymes with Bucketuck. Which is quite astonishingly, it's not from the WhatsApps that have been released, but this is news that came in yesterday. Boris Johnson's resignation honours lists, which contain so many unexpected recommendations for an honours taking a long time to get approved. He's nominated his own dad Stanley for a knighthood. That's him. Right. Now, this is a man whose achievements involve breaking his wife's nose, repeatedly cheating on his family, spawning a shed load of Johnson's that we could probably all do without. Being a go between for Boris with Chinese politicians that he couldn't otherwise meet and more recen...