British healthcare faces weeks of disruption as hospitals battle with rising winter rates of illness and a six-day strike by junior doctors that starts on Wednesday.
The walkout will be the longest strike in the National Health Service’s (NHS) history and is expected to have a significant impact not only on daily operations but long-planned operations and other appointments..
“This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced,” Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said as he warned the impact of the strike will be felt for weeks.
“Six consecutive days of industrial action comes at one of our busiest periods – the action will not only have an enormous impact on planned care, but comes on top of a host of seasonal pressures such as Covid, flu, and staff absences due to sickness – all of which is impacting on how patients flow through hospitals,” he said.
On the back foot
“Our colleagues across the health service are doing their very best for patients every day with extensive preparations in place, but there's no doubt they are starting 2024 on the back foot – not only will action impact next week, it will continue to have a serious impact in the weeks after as we recover services and deal with additional demand.”
Junior doctors are set to walk out from 7am on January 3 until 7am on January 9 – amounting to 144 consecutive hours of industrial action.
The British Medical Association (BMA) union wants junior doctors to get a 35 per cent pay rise, which it says would restore their real earnings to 2008 levels, but the government says this is unaffordable.
Hopes the walkout could be called off are fading as a “stand-off” between the government and the BMA is holding firm, according to NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor.
He told BBC News on Monday that “even at this late stage, an intervention could make a difference”, and the industrial action will leave hospitals, GP surgeries and other services “skating on very thin ice”.
Mr Taylor said: “Unfortunately it feels like there is a stand-off, which is the government refusing to enter negotiations unless the junior doctors call off the strike action, and the junior doctors are refusing to call off strike action unless the government commits to investing more money – and that is a pity.
“These days are going to be very damaging to us.”
An agreement allows striking junior doctors to be recalled for major incidents and in extreme circumstances.
The confederation is urging the BMA to respond quickly to requests for junior doctors to be recalled and for the judgment of senior medics to be “trusted” when they say they need cover from those on strike.
Mr Taylor said: “Many NHS trusts will have thin rotas and will be in a highly vulnerable position as they enter what is widely regarded as the busiest week of the year for local NHS services.
Junior doctors across England begin 96 hour strike – in pictures
“Parts of the NHS will be skating on very thin ice, and they will need the BMA to back any recall requests for junior doctors when services find themselves under extreme pressure.”
He said under these circumstances, the focus must now be for every NHS leader and their staff to try to mitigate “as many of the considerable risks that they face as possible”.
He added: “To face almost 150 hours of continuous stoppages is a serious and unprecedented risk – and one that NHS leaders and their staff have never experienced before.
“That means more delays for patients who have faced lengthy waits for routine treatment.”
Figures released last month showed more than 1.2 million appointments have had to be postponed because of industrial action in the NHS since it began in December 2022. Strikes by junior doctors last month alone caused around 86,000 appointments to be postponed.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
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- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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Gulf Under 19s final
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The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
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13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
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The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
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Date started: Okadoc, 2018
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
