Health

There are more than 600,000 people in the UK living with epilepsy, many of whom use drug sodium valproate to control their seizures.

Three years on, Covid and lockdowns continue to dominate our headlines. 

We spoke to Dr Sumi Manirajan, the deputy co-chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee.

Junior doctors have announced what will be the biggest strike in NHS history – a four-day walk out in mid-April.

We spoke to Onay Kasab, from the Unite the Union, who has been taking part in the talks on NHS pay.

Downing Street has said it will cost £4 billion to fund the new pay offer for NHS staff, designed to end the damaging wave of industrial action – but it hasn’t given any details on where that money is coming from.

How do those who will be voting on a new NHS pay offer feel? 

We spoke to Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents NHS employers.

We speak to Lib Whitfield – a regional organiser for the GMB Union.

It is a simple test – blow into a plastic bag, analyse it – and see if the patient has esophageal cancer, a tumour in the windpipe.

Unions representing tens of thousands of NHS workers are considering an invitation from the government to enter formal pay talks ahead of more strikes next week.

Junior doctors in England will strike for three days in March, in their dispute over pay. 

Before the news broke that the nurses had paused their strike action, we spoke to the health minister Maria Caulfield about one strike that’s still taking place, the junior doctors – and asked her about the government’s approach to pay negotiations.

This could be a significant moment not just for nurses – but other public sector workers in dispute with the government.

In the last few hours, nurses have agreed to pause next week’s 48-hour strike in England and re-start talks with the government.