7th September 2023

Tax the rich for good public services
Labour’s ultra low risk approach to policies if in power will not supply the services the public want. Here the Guardian’s economics editor discusses fiscal options for Labour. Tax expert Richard Murphy identifies ways for Labour to raise tax revenue.

More funding is the only answer
“In 1997, there was a change of government. The voters demonstrated decisively that they wanted their politicians to put the NHS back at the top of their priorities, and taxpayers’ money flooded in. Morale among doctors, nurses and allied professionals began quickly to rise, and patient satisfaction, too.”

GP vacancy rates reach record levels
Nearly one in five GP positions in the UK are unfilled according to a survey, the highest since the data has been collected. “The recruitment crisis is a culmination of a few things: secondary care passing back work and refusing referrals; lack of investment in the GP contract, making partnership unappealing to newly qualified GPs; and a torrid working environment that encourages earlier GP retirement.”

Government is not fully funding the nurses pay award
Organisations contracted by the NHS that use the Agenda for Change pay scale – charities, primary care services, social enterprises, independent healthcare providers, nursing and care homes – will have to cover costs from tight budgets already stretched to the limit. Also there’s a funding gap for NHS staff employed by trusts working to deliver key public health contracts commissioned by local authorities.

Hospital waiting list deaths double in 5 years
The number of NHS patients that die while waiting for treatment has doubled in 5 years.