Transgender women may soon be banned from female wards in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;UK health secretary Steve Barclay, as per reports, is all set to propose a pushback against such "wokery," as he calls it. Previously, the Tory MP has claimed that woke behaviour like this has led to women's rights being increasingly sidelined.

<h2>Common sense</h2>

Talking to the Telegraph, Barclay announced his plans to restore "common sense" to the NHS.

He said: "We need a common-sense approach to sex and equality issues in the NHS. That is why I am announcing proposals for clearer rights for patients."

"And I can confirm that sex-specific language has now been fully restored to online health advice pages about cervical and ovarian cancer and the menopause. It is vital that women’s voices are heard in the NHS and the privacy, dignity and safety of all patients are protected."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/british-pm-sunak-opens-up-on-trans-debate-declares-100-women-do-no-have-penises-583109">British PM Sunak wades into trans debate, declares 100% women do not have penises</a>

Previously, references to women were expunged from advice on menopause and diseases like cervical and ovarian cancer. Terms like "breastfeeding", as per Telegraph, were replaced by "chestfeeding." Additionally, the guidance made reference to pregnant "people" instead of women.

Barclay had labelled this "ideological dogma".&nbsp;

<h2>When will this be announced?</h2>

The UK Health Minister, as per the report, is set to make the announcement on Tuesday (Oct 3rd), during his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. These changes to the NHS constitution aim to strengthen protection for women.

<h2>Where will the Transgender patients be treated?</h2>

As per the report, trans patients would be housed in separate accommodations, i.e., they will get their own rooms.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/uk-transgender-man-gives-birth-to-girl-after-doctors-said-his-partner-could-never-have-kids-618855">Transgender man gives birth to baby girl in UK, plans on having another child</a>

Citing a 'source' close to the Health Secretary, the Telegraph reported&nbsp;that Barclay "is concerned that women’s voices should be heard on healthcare and that too often wokery and ideological dogma are getting in the way of this."

The move has been welcomed by the campaign group 'Sex Matters'. Its executive director Maya Forstater called it "fantastic news," and remarked that "Undoing the damage (purportedly wrought by staff trans activists) will take years of concerted effort but will bring huge benefits for all patients and staff, most especially women."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Transgender women may soon be banned from female wards in the United Kingdom. UK health secretary Steve Barclay, as per reports, is all set to propose a pushback against such "wokery," as he calls it.

Transgender women may soon be banned from female wards in the United Kingdom. UK health secretary Steve Barclay, as per reports, is all set to propose a pushback against such "wokery," as he calls it. Previously, the Tory MP has claimed that woke behaviour like this has led to women's rights being increasingly sidelined. Common sense Talking to the Telegraph, Barclay announced his plans to restore "common sense" to the NHS. He said: "We need a common-sense approach to sex and equality issues in the NHS. That is why I am announcing proposals for clearer rights for patients." "And I can confirm that sex-specific language has now been fully restored to online health advice pages about cervical and ovarian cancer and the menopause. It is vital that women’s voices are heard in the NHS and the privacy, dignity and safety of all patients are protected." Also read | British PM Sunak wades into trans debate, declares 100% women do not have penises Previously, references to women were expunged from advice on menopause and diseases like cervical and ovarian cancer. Terms like "breastfeeding", as per Telegraph, were replaced by "chestfeeding." Additionally, the guidance made reference to pregnant "people" instead of women. Barclay had labelled this "ideological dogma". When will this be announced? The UK Health Minister, as per the report, is set to make the announcement on Tuesday (Oct 3rd), during his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. These changes to the NHS constitution aim to strengthen protection for women. Where will the Transgender patients be treated? As per the report, trans patients would be housed in separate accommodations, i.e., they will get their own rooms. Also read | Transgender man gives birth to baby girl in UK, plans on having another child Citing a 'source' close to the Health Secretary, the Telegraph reported that Barclay "is concerned that women’s voices should be heard on healthcare and that too often wokery and ideological dogma are getting in the way of this." The move has been welcomed by the campaign group 'Sex Matters'. Its executive director Maya Forstater called it "fantastic news," and remarked that "Undoing the damage (purportedly wrought by staff trans activists) will take years of concerted effort but will bring huge benefits for all patients and staff, most especially women." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK health secretary pushes against 'wokery', to ban transgender patients from female wards

Junior doctors in England have commenced a five-day strike. The walkout will be the longest in the history of the National Health Service (NHS) and is part of an ongoing protest over pay issues within the health service. The conflict has already led to a series of strikes and the cancellation of numerous operations and consultations.

The latest strike comes as speculation is rife that the government will soon announce its decision on recommendations made by pay review bodies for public sector workers, including teachers, civil servants, and NHS staff. These recommendations are rumoured to include pay rises ranging from 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

<h2>BMA calls government stance inflexible</h2>

Leaders of the British Medical Association (BMA) have called on the government to return to negotiations to resolve the ongoing dispute.

The Guardian reports that Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, leaders of the BMA, emphasised that the strike could be called off if the UK government followed the example of the Scottish government and dropped their "nonsensical precondition" of not engaging in talks during strikes.

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"Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history, but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books," they said.

Highlighting the pay offer made to junior doctors in Scotland as an example of a credible approach, they said, "The Health Secretary has said there can be no talks while strikes are planned - Scotland has proved him wrong. He said above 5 per cent wasn’t realistic - Scotland proved him wrong. He refused to even acknowledge the concept of pay restoration - Scotland proved this is not only possible but essential."

Criticising the inflexible stance taken by the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary&nbsp;Steve Barclay, they stated that talks need to be resumed and argued that the UK government's refusal to engage in dialogue with junior doctors in England, despite strikes being planned, goes against the norms of industrial action.

Expressing their frustration with the government, they said, "The complete inflexibility we see from the UK government today is baffling, frustrating and ultimately destructive for everyone who wants waiting lists to go down and NHS staffing numbers to go up."

Further, they pointed out that the UK government has missed several opportunities to provide a credible offer and bring an end to the industrial action by junior doctors.

They emphasised that while there are differences between the positions of junior doctors and the governments of England and Scotland, "the UK government has far more financial freedom to give doctors what they deserve."

<h2>How the strike will affect patients</h2>

As per Saffron Cordery, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Providers, the disruption caused by strikes is not only affecting patients but is also eroding the relationship between trust leaders and their staff.

Cordery emphasised the growing risk of delaying treatment for thousands of patients and the strain it places on already overstretched services, making it harder to reduce waiting lists.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/who-decides-that-italians-in-uproar-over-judges-10-second-groping-rule-614970">'Who decides that?': Italians in uproar over judge's '10-second' groping rule</a>

He said that the consecutive months of industrial action across the NHS have led to the rescheduling of more than 651,000 routine procedures and appointments.

<h2>Government 'disappointed'&nbsp;by strike</h2>

Highlighting the impact on patient safety, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay expressed disappointment at the further strike action by the BMA.

"It is disappointing that the BMA is going ahead with further strike action. This five-day walkout by junior doctors will have an impact on thousands of patients, put patient safety at risk and hamper efforts to cut NHS waiting lists," said Barclay, as reported by The Independent.

As per Barclay the BMA's pay demand of 35 per cent or more is "unreasonable" and inflationary.

"We were in discussions about pay and a range of other measures to improve the working lives of junior doctors until their representatives collapsed the negotiations by announcing further strikes. A pay demand of 35 per cent or more is unreasonable and risks fuelling inflation, which makes everyone poorer."

(With inputs from agencies) 
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Junior doctors in England have commenced a five-day strike. The walkout will be the longest in the history of the National Health Service (NHS) and is part of an ongoing protest over pay issues within the health service.

Junior doctors in England have commenced a five-day strike. The walkout will be the longest in the history of the National Health Service (NHS) and is part of an ongoing protest over pay issues within the health service. The conflict has already led to a series of strikes and the cancellation of numerous operations and consultations. The latest strike comes as speculation is rife that the government will soon announce its decision on recommendations made by pay review bodies for public sector workers, including teachers, civil servants, and NHS staff. These recommendations are rumoured to include pay rises ranging from 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent. BMA calls government stance inflexible Leaders of the British Medical Association (BMA) have called on the government to return to negotiations to resolve the ongoing dispute. The Guardian reports that Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, leaders of the BMA, emphasised that the strike could be called off if the UK government followed the example of the Scottish government and dropped their "nonsensical precondition" of not engaging in talks during strikes. Also read | SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee unanimously votes for strike as talks fail "Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history, but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books," they said. Highlighting the pay offer made to junior doctors in Scotland as an example of a credible approach, they said, "The Health Secretary has said there can be no talks while strikes are planned - Scotland has proved him wrong. He said above 5 per cent wasn’t realistic - Scotland proved him wrong. He refused to even acknowledge the concept of pay restoration - Scotland proved this is not only possible but essential." Criticising the inflexible stance taken by the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary Steve Barclay, they stated that talks need to be resumed and argued that the UK government's refusal to engage in dialogue with junior doctors in England, despite strikes being planned, goes against the norms of industrial action. Expressing their frustration with the government, they said, "The complete inflexibility we see from the UK government today is baffling, frustrating and ultimately destructive for everyone who wants waiting lists to go down and NHS staffing numbers to go up." Further, they pointed out that the UK government has missed several opportunities to provide a credible offer and bring an end to the industrial action by junior doctors. They emphasised that while there are differences between the positions of junior doctors and the governments of England and Scotland, "the UK government has far more financial freedom to give doctors what they deserve." How the strike will affect patients As per Saffron Cordery, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Providers, the disruption caused by strikes is not only affecting patients but is also eroding the relationship between trust leaders and their staff. Cordery emphasised the growing risk of delaying treatment for thousands of patients and the strain it places on already overstretched services, making it harder to reduce waiting lists. Also read | 'Who decides that?': Italians in uproar over judge's '10-second' groping rule He said that the consecutive months of industrial action across the NHS have led to the rescheduling of more than 651,000 routine procedures and appointments. Government 'disappointed' by strike Highlighting the impact on patient safety, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay expressed disappointment at the further strike action by the BMA. "It is disappointing that the BMA is going ahead with further strike action. This five-day walkout by junior doctors will have an impact on thousands of patients, put patient safety at risk and hamper efforts to cut NHS waiting lists," said Barclay, as reported by The Independent. As per Barclay the BMA's pay demand of 35 per cent or more is "unreasonable" and inflationary. "We were in discussions about pay and a range of other measures to improve the working lives of junior doctors until their representatives collapsed the negotiations by announcing further strikes. A pay demand of 35 per cent or more is unreasonable and risks fuelling inflation, which makes everyone poorer." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Thousands of UK doctors begin ‘longest walkout’ in NHS history over pay issues

With National Health Service (NHS) nurses staging a strike in Britain for better wages and working conditions, health minister Steve Barclay said on Thursday that their pay demands are unaffordable given the economic pressures.

The nurses have demanded a pay rise of 5% plus inflation,&nbsp;arguing that they have suffered 10 years of real-terms cuts and that low pay means staff shortages and unsafe care for patients. The government has said their pay demand would equate to a 19% hike.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rishi-sunak-says-ready-for-a-showdown-with-union-leaders-vows-to-introduce-anti-strike-law-543136">UK nurses begin unprecedented day-long strike for better wages and working conditions</a>

Speaking to news agency Reuters, health minister Barclay said on Thursday "Well we have an independent process that looks at these issues in the round, that looks at the pressure for many viewers face with higher taxes, face with cost of living pressures and balances those with the needs of our NHS as well and that independent pay review looks at these issues and we have accepted their recommendations in full but we also recognise the huge contribution that we saw from&nbsp;nurses&nbsp;during the pandemic and that's why last year we made a special case where&nbsp;nurses&nbsp;got an extra 3% when others in the public sector did not.''

"But we've got to balance that against what is affordable to the wider economy and asking for a 19% pay rise, way above what most viewers themselves are receiving is not affordable given the many other economic pressures that we face,'' he further told the news agency.&nbsp;

Earlier on Thursday, health minister Barclay said it was deeply&nbsp;regrettable that the strike was going ahead adding he was concerned about the risk that the strike poses to patients.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-nurses-to-teachers-why-workers-across-industries-in-uk-are-going-on-a-strike-540940">Explained: From nurses to teachers, why workers across UK are going on strike</a>

An estimated&nbsp;100,000&nbsp;nurses are on strike at over 70 hospitals and health centres, leading to a cancellation of&nbsp;70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries in the NHS.&nbsp;

Reacting to the walkout,&nbsp;Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union's head Pat Cullen told the BBC that it was a tragic day for nursing, a tragic day for the patients and the NHS.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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With National Health Service (NHS) nurses staging a strike in Britain for better wages and working conditions, health minister Steve Barclay said on Thursday that their pay demands are unaffordable given the economic pressures.

With National Health Service (NHS) nurses staging a strike in Britain for better wages and working conditions, health minister Steve Barclay said on Thursday that their pay demands are unaffordable given the economic pressures. The nurses have demanded a pay rise of 5% plus inflation, arguing that they have suffered 10 years of real-terms cuts and that low pay means staff shortages and unsafe care for patients. The government has said their pay demand would equate to a 19% hike. ALSO READ | UK nurses begin unprecedented day-long strike for better wages and working conditions Speaking to news agency Reuters, health minister Barclay said on Thursday "Well we have an independent process that looks at these issues in the round, that looks at the pressure for many viewers face with higher taxes, face with cost of living pressures and balances those with the needs of our NHS as well and that independent pay review looks at these issues and we have accepted their recommendations in full but we also recognise the huge contribution that we saw from nurses during the pandemic and that's why last year we made a special case where nurses got an extra 3% when others in the public sector did not.'' "But we've got to balance that against what is affordable to the wider economy and asking for a 19% pay rise, way above what most viewers themselves are receiving is not affordable given the many other economic pressures that we face,'' he further told the news agency. Earlier on Thursday, health minister Barclay said it was deeply regrettable that the strike was going ahead adding he was concerned about the risk that the strike poses to patients. ALSO READ | Explained: From nurses to teachers, why workers across UK are going on strike An estimated 100,000 nurses are on strike at over 70 hospitals and health centres, leading to a cancellation of 70,000 appointments, procedures and surgeries in the NHS. Reacting to the walkout, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union's head Pat Cullen told the BBC that it was a tragic day for nursing, a tragic day for the patients and the NHS. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

British health minister says pay demand of nurses unaffordable amid strike

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hired former Brexit minister Steve Barclay as the new chief of staff in an attempt to rebuild his scandal-hit team.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hired former Brexit minister Steve Barclay as the new chief of staff in an attempt to rebuild his scandal-hit team. After a series of controversies at Downing Street and some resignations by key staff members, Johnson is looking forward to making more changes at No 10 to save his premiership. "The changes I'm announcing to my senior team today will improve how No 10 operates, strengthen the role of my Cabinet and backbench colleagues, and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country," the UK Prime Minister said in a statement as quoted by Reuters. ALSO READ | UK PM Johnson’s photo holding beer can at lockdown-breaching party handed over to police: Reports Barclay, who is currently the Cabinet Office minister, will oversee the running of Downing Street as he is set to combine his ministerial duties with his new job. In other changes, local media reported that former news presenter Guto Harri, 55, will be the new communications chief. Recently, Munira Mirza, the head of policy who had worked with him for 14 years, resigned on Thursday over Johnson's claim that Labour leader Keir Starmer failed to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile during his time as director of public prosecutions (DPP). ALSO READ | Four of Johnson's closest aides desert him, as he seeks a fresh start Johnson has repeatedly refused to resign over reports that he and some of his staff attended Downing Street parties during coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns. Johnson has admitted that problems needed to be fixed at the heart of Downing Street. Meanwhile, a police investigation is underway over lockdown-breaching gatherings when they were banned across the country. × (With inputs from agencies)

Amid scandals and controversies, UK PM Boris Johnson hires new chief of staff and communications head

The prospect of Britain holding European elections would have been unthinkable just weeks ago but with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-unions-tusk-considering-flexible-brexit-extension-up-to-one-year-senior-official-208089"> Brexit timetable now uncertain</a>, the country is reluctantly planning for a possible campaign.

Village halls and schools across the country are being booked as polling centres, and orders placed with specialist stationers for tens of millions of ballots in case the May 23 vote goes ahead.

The government has yet to give formal notice of the poll, with the deadline next Friday, but this week agreed to pay for initial preparations.

And after Prime Minister Theresa May&nbsp;admitted she would seek to again delay Brexit, amid continuing deadlock over her plan to leave, officials believe such notice is inevitable.

"If we were to still be a member of the EU, which is not our government's intention, but if we were, we would need to have European Parliament elections," Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs on Thursday.

Yet both the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party are keeping quiet about any campaign plans, wary of how voters might respond.

Zombie election

May has previously said it would be "unacceptable" to ask Britons to take part in the elections three years after they voted to leave the European Union.

Her spokesman emphasised that once called, Britain could still cancel the polls up until May 22 if it has secured a deal to leave the EU by then.

This would cause anger in Brussels, not least because 27 of Britain's 73 MEPs have already been reallocated to other countries.

And it leaves Conservative candidates in the unenviable position of asking voters to back them in an election they themselves do not want, and still may not happen.

"That is not a conversation I relish having on the doorsteps of my constituency," said the party's leader in the European Parliament, Ashley Fox.

He said polls predicted voters would punish the Tories for betraying them on Brexit, with the best prediction suggesting it would lose half its 20 MEPs.

"It could be worse if our members decide they do not want to spend their evenings and weekends promoting a zombie election," he wrote on the ConservativeHome website.

Superhuman effort

Election officials, who would normally have begun planning for the European polls before Christmas, are now under intense pressure.

After pressing the government for weeks, ministers finally confirmed on Monday they would reimburse costs of preparations that were strictly necessary.

The process of booking venues and ordering stationery is now underway -- a mammoth task.

At the last European elections in 2014, they sent out 7.2 million postal votes, printed 46.5 million poll cards and had 39,000 polling stations.

Letters must also be sent out to more than three million EU citizens living in Britain to ask if they want to vote here or in their home country.

Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, told AFP her members would do what was necessary, but that it would require a "superhuman effort".

Return of Farage

The Conservative Party has so far refused to confirm what it is doing to select or field candidates for the elections, while Labour says only that it is "making contingency plans".

But smaller parties sense an opportunity.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) which wants to reverse the whole Brexit process, said it would contest any election "very vigorously".

The newly formed Independent Group, made up of pro-European former Conservative and Labour MPs, last week applied to the election authorities to be allowed to take part.

And Nigel Farage, a lead campaigner in the 2016 EU referendum, has said he would stand for his new Brexit party.

He condemned May's delay as the latest "Brexit betrayal" and said: "It is now clear we will have to fight our political classes again. I'm up for it."

European elections in Britain are typically marked by poor turnout, but Lock acknowledged Brexit could change this.&nbsp;

"People are planning for a higher turnout," she said.

The prospect of Britain holding European elections would have been unthinkable just weeks ago but with the Brexit timetable now uncertain, the country is reluctantly planning for a possible campaign.

The prospect of Britain holding European elections would have been unthinkable just weeks ago but with the Brexit timetable now uncertain, the country is reluctantly planning for a possible campaign. Village halls and schools across the country are being booked as polling centres, and orders placed with specialist stationers for tens of millions of ballots in case the May 23 vote goes ahead. The government has yet to give formal notice of the poll, with the deadline next Friday, but this week agreed to pay for initial preparations. And after Prime Minister Theresa May admitted she would seek to again delay Brexit, amid continuing deadlock over her plan to leave, officials believe such notice is inevitable. "If we were to still be a member of the EU, which is not our government's intention, but if we were, we would need to have European Parliament elections," Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs on Thursday. Yet both the ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party are keeping quiet about any campaign plans, wary of how voters might respond. Zombie election May has previously said it would be "unacceptable" to ask Britons to take part in the elections three years after they voted to leave the European Union. Her spokesman emphasised that once called, Britain could still cancel the polls up until May 22 if it has secured a deal to leave the EU by then. This would cause anger in Brussels, not least because 27 of Britain's 73 MEPs have already been reallocated to other countries. And it leaves Conservative candidates in the unenviable position of asking voters to back them in an election they themselves do not want, and still may not happen. "That is not a conversation I relish having on the doorsteps of my constituency," said the party's leader in the European Parliament, Ashley Fox. He said polls predicted voters would punish the Tories for betraying them on Brexit, with the best prediction suggesting it would lose half its 20 MEPs. "It could be worse if our members decide they do not want to spend their evenings and weekends promoting a zombie election," he wrote on the ConservativeHome website. Superhuman effort Election officials, who would normally have begun planning for the European polls before Christmas, are now under intense pressure. After pressing the government for weeks, ministers finally confirmed on Monday they would reimburse costs of preparations that were strictly necessary. The process of booking venues and ordering stationery is now underway -- a mammoth task. At the last European elections in 2014, they sent out 7.2 million postal votes, printed 46.5 million poll cards and had 39,000 polling stations. Letters must also be sent out to more than three million EU citizens living in Britain to ask if they want to vote here or in their home country. Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, told AFP her members would do what was necessary, but that it would require a "superhuman effort". Return of Farage The Conservative Party has so far refused to confirm what it is doing to select or field candidates for the elections, while Labour says only that it is "making contingency plans". But smaller parties sense an opportunity. The Scottish National Party (SNP) which wants to reverse the whole Brexit process, said it would contest any election "very vigorously". The newly formed Independent Group, made up of pro-European former Conservative and Labour MPs, last week applied to the election authorities to be allowed to take part. And Nigel Farage, a lead campaigner in the 2016 EU referendum, has said he would stand for his new Brexit party. He condemned May's delay as the latest "Brexit betrayal" and said: "It is now clear we will have to fight our political classes again. I'm up for it." European elections in Britain are typically marked by poor turnout, but Lock acknowledged Brexit could change this. "People are planning for a higher turnout," she said.

On the quiet, UK prepares for 'zombie' European polls

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UK health secretary pushes against 'wokery', to ban transgender patients from female wards

Thousands of UK doctors begin ‘longest walkout’ in NHS history over pay issues

British health minister says pay demand of nurses unaffordable amid strike

Amid scandals and controversies, UK PM Boris Johnson hires new chief of staff and communications head

On the quiet, UK prepares for 'zombie' European polls