Tens of thousands of junior doctors in England have begun a four-day strike over pay this morning, which the NHS says is “the most extensive action on record”.
After already staging three days of industrial action last month, junior doctors – who are qualified doctors that have anywhere from three to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor or GP – have decided to take things one step further by walking out from 7am today until the morning of Saturday 15 April.
As junior doctors make up around half of all doctors working in the NHS, the health service says it’s expecting to see “unprecedented disruption”, and that the strikes could even be considered the “most disruptive” in NHS history.
It’s believed that up to 350,000 appointments could be cancelled this week.
Around 47,600 junior doctors, who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA), are to walk out as part of a worsening pay dispute with the government.
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Today junior doctors in England begin their 2nd round of strike action for #PayRestoration
The BMA says junior doctors in England have had a 26% real-terms pay cut since 2008-09 as pay rises have been below inflation, which is why it has asked the government for a full pay restoration amounting to a 35% pay rise – but ministers have previously said that this is “unaffordable”.
With widespread disruption to services is expected this week, the NHS says it wants to make sure that safe care continues to be available for those in life-threatening situations, and will do so by prioritise emergency and urgent care over some routine appointments and procedures.
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Appointments and operations will only be cancelled “where unavoidable”, according to the NHS, and patients will be offered an alternative date “as soon as possible”.
Up to 350,000 appointments could be cancelled as junior doctors begin four-day strike / Credit: BMA (via Twitter)
“The NHS has been preparing extensively for these strikes,” explained Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England.
“But managing additional pressure doesn’t get easier as time goes by, it gets much more difficult – not only due to the sheer number of appointments that need to be rescheduled, but also that they can take time to rearrange with multiple teams involved.”
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He admitted that the junior doctor walkouts are set to be “the most disruptive industrial action in NHS history”, and confirmed that emergency, urgent, and critical care will be prioritised.
The NHS has said that people who need care must only use 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies, and use NHS 111 online and other services, such as pharmacies and GPs, for non-urgent health needs as they remain “largely unaffected” by the strikes.
Featured Image – BMA
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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
11th April 2023 
