Warning signs of another winter of crisis for the NHS as waiting lists grow - The Yorkshire Post says

The fact that NHS waiting lists in England have climbed to a new record high of 7.6 million, shows that the healthcare system in this country still requires urgent attention.

The waiting list figure is the highest since records began in 2007. And while the pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the issue, it is clear that the NHS is ill-equipped to deal with the pressures that it currently faces due to the policies before Covid struck.

It is not a coincidence that so many healthcare workers have withdrawn their labour at some point over the past 12 months.

While resolutions have been struck with some unions, there are still many healthcare workers that simply feel let down by the Government.

A case in point are the junior doctors in England, who have begun their fifth round of strikes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay is right to warn that patients are “bearing the brunt of the impact of continuous strikes” and that they “will cause more appointments and procedures to be postponed”.

But the Government’s handling of the negotiations has once again been found wanting and the fact that the Health Secretary has said that the pay award is “final”, doesn’t inspire confidence that these strikes will come to an end anytime soon.

There’s a misconception around the role of junior doctors. These aren’t professionals simply learning on the job. In fact they play a key role on the frontline in hospitals. The Government needs to show leadership and thrash out a deal that gets junior doctors not only off the picket line but giving the best of their talent to the NHS.