Well being minister manufacturers NHS ‘damaged’ forward of talks

The brand new Well being Secretary Wes Streeting has branded the NHS “damaged” in his first day within the job, as he says negotiations with junior docs will start subsequent week.

The Ilford North MP warned the well being service is “going by the largest disaster in its historical past”, and it can’t be fastened in a single day.

Mr Streeting mentioned he spoke with the British Medical Affiliation (BMA) on Friday forward of beginning recent talks in an try to finish a long-running pay dispute.

The BMA described the decision as “constructive”. It has repeatedly requested for a 35% rise, to make up for what it says are 15 years of below-inflation pay rises.

Mr Streeting mentioned Labour, which is in energy for the primary time in 14 years, had promised to start negotiations as a matter of urgency “and that’s what we’re doing”.

“From at present, the coverage of this division is that the NHS is damaged,” he mentioned.

His feedback got here shortly after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appointed Labour MPs to key cupboard positions because the get together secured a landslide election victory.

Mr Streeting, who held his seat by a 528-vote margin, mentioned the brand new authorities can be “trustworthy” in regards to the challenges it confronted.

He added: “Once we mentioned that sufferers are being failed each day, it wasn’t political rhetoric, however the every day actuality confronted by thousands and thousands.

“Earlier governments haven’t been prepared to confess these easy information. However as a way to treatment an sickness, you need to first diagnose it.”

In its manifesto, Labour promised to ship an additional 40,000 operations, scans and appointments per week in England – two million a yr – by introducing extra weekend companies, in addition to turning to the non-public sector.

It mentioned the cash would come from cracking down on non-dom tax preparations.

The BBC has contacted the Conservatives for remark.

Junior docs in England final went on strike on the finish of June in what was the eleventh walkout of their long-running pay dispute.

Mr Streeting beforehand mentioned he wouldn’t meet the 35% pay rise demanded by the BMA. However he mentioned there was “area for a dialogue” on pay, in addition to negotiations on how one can enhance working circumstances for medics in coaching.

Junior docs make up almost half the medical workforce within the NHS. Two-thirds of them are BMA members.