Thousands of hospital appointments are being cancelled up and down the country because of the Queen’s upcoming funeral, it is being reported.
The funeral, which is due to take place on 19 September, has been declared a national Bank Holiday. As a result, a number of NHS trusts have said that appointments will be postponed according to independent global media platform openDemocracy.
Whilst Covid-19 vaccinations and emergency appointments will reportedly continue, some trusts have said that they will be cancelling treatments including hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, maternity checks and some cancer treatments.
Surgeries in Manchester have begun sending out messages to registered patients this afternoon, The Manc can reveal.
The City Health Centre, housed on Market Street above Boots, told its patients: “The practise will be closed on Monday, 19 September, on the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.
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“Please order your repeat prescriptions as soon as possible before the bank holiday weekend.”
it continued: “If you require medical advice or attention that cannot wait until the practise is open, please call 111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk. For medical emergencies please dial 999.”
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Doctors at one central London hospital trust were reportedly told: “The day of the State Funeral will be treated as a bank holiday so please go ahead and start rescheduling patients.”
The news follows years of growing backlog, with data from the British Medical Association (BMA) in July 2022 showing the NHS had hit an all-time record high of people waiting for treatment with over 6.84 million people on its list.
The figures also show that 377,689 patients have been waiting over one year for treatment – over 365 times the 1,032 people waiting over a year pre-pandemic in July 2019 – and that 2.67 million patients had been waiting over 18 weeks for treatment.
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According to openDemocracy, a number of patients who had already been waiting for appointments have seen them cancelled again due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Following the announcement of the Queen’s death on 8 September, a text from NHS providers informed a pregnant woman that as a result of “unforeseen circumstances” her appointment had been cancelled and that another date “will be rescheduled shortly”.
Meanwhile, Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust told patients on Monday: “Following the announcement of the plans for the late Her Majesty The Queen’s state funeral on Monday 19 September 2022, some non-urgent planned care appointments/procedures across Bedfordshire Hospitals will be postponed. We will contact all relevant patients if their appointment or procedure is to be re-scheduled.”
Elsewhere in Liverpool, the Women’s Hospital has already warned patients to expect changes on the day of the late Monarch’s funeral.
Feature image – SnapStock / Royal Free NHS
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Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
Georgina Pellant -
13th September 2022 
