Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on UK doctors striking on the hottest day of the year

Healthcare leaders warn patients face major disruption in England this week, as the latest junior doctors' strike coincides with the hottest week of the year.

British Medical Association members will stage a five-day walkout from Thursday - the 11th in the long-running pay dispute.

It comes with a heat-health warning in many parts of the country with London potentially hitting 30C.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this will add additional pressure to hospitals.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Devin grays are UK corresponding evening to Gevin either this
basing thing is getting out of hand, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:07):
It sure is. I feel left out. I think I'm
the only person that didn't put a bet on the
date of the general election. Of course, nothing wrong in
doing that, except if you knew that the date was
going to be the fourth of July next week prior
to it being announced, because that, of course is effectively
insider trading. And now there are allegations that up to
fifteen of Rishi Sunac's own candidates did have a bet.

(00:32):
Now we don't know that that is definitely the case,
but some reports are coming out it could be up
to fifteen. What we do know is that five members
of the Conservative Party, the party of government, are being
looked at over betting allegations, including a former close aide
to Rishi Sunak and another one of the candidates. They're

(00:54):
being interviewed, we believe, this week, by the Betting Commission
or the gambling Commissioners. It's all over here and we
do think there's going to be a meeting later on
in the week as well. Regarding one of Rishisunk's close
protection security officers, one of the police officers. He was
arrested last week and placed on restrictive duties over allegations

(01:15):
of election betting as well. Now some of the candidates
have finally been suspended by the Conservatives. That means if
they do win the seat, because it's incidentally it's too
late to take them off the card for voting. If
they do win, then they'll have to stand as an independent.
What we don't know is if they're then cleared, will
the Conservatives welcome them back or not. But rishisunac accused

(01:37):
of indecision, accused of waiting too late to do this.
But Labor, the main party of opposition, not immune either.
One of its candidates actually bet against himself saying he
wouldn't win his own seat, and he has been suspended
by the Labor Party. You really couldn't make this stuff up.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Oh you could have known it so mad Anyway, listen,
is there a problem. Do you think that the juniors
the junior doctor strike is going to coincide with the
hottest week of the year.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, I mean, so far our early summer and spring
has not been good. But this week we really have
hit the jackpot in terms of temperatures. It was very
very warm when I spoke to you on Monday in London.
Today London could hit thirty celsius and that's always warm
in a city when there's very very little breeze, and

(02:25):
that always adds pressure to the National Health Service here
and hospital units. Now add to the fact that tomorrow
junior doctors, which represent the majority of doctors really in
the UK on the front line, are going on strike again,
a five day walkout in the eleventh time they've done
a walkout in this long running pay dispute. They want

(02:48):
a pay rise of thirty percent. Yep, they want They
believe that's what they're entitled to, and they've said that
their pay has been undervalued over recent years. The governments said,
no way that's happening. Of course, this has been deliberately timed,
this eleventh walkout, for the days leading up to the election,
which of course is just eight days away now. So yeah,

(03:10):
I think hospital boss is very worried about those that
turn up and present themselves in accident, emergency or urging
care centers.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Devin very quickly just explain something to me. Okay, So
there was the scheme in London where if you had
a polluting vehicle, you could get the scrappage grant, get
rid of the vehicle and then you could buy yourself
on an electric VN But only two percent of vans were
replaced with electric equivalents. What did everybody else do with
the money?

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Probably keep it and therefore one suspects that the scheme
has been a bit of a disaster. Not according of
course to our mayor for London. He has said, well,
you never had to go and spend the money on
another vehicle. We were just trying to take the most
polluting vehicles off the streets and he said that's what
the scheme has done. But it's cost many, many millions

(03:53):
of pounds and the idea of people might have pocketed
it well, good intentions, bad results, Yeah, totally.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Just free money. I Gevin, thank you so so much.
Devin Gray are UK correspondent.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
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