The Mirror: News, Sport, Celebrity & EntertainmentWes Streeting heads back to the negotiating table with doctors to avoid NHS strike
9 key issues in Keir Starmer's in-tray for 2026 - from NHS to China and leadership
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/9-key-issues-keir-starmers-36442160
EditorSwansea East MP warning over unregulated weight-loss jabs
Ms. Harris, 65, who has lost nearly 10 stone on Mounjaro (a weekly jab that can help people shed up to 20% of their body weight over time), says she went to a GP to get her prescribed dosage, to ensure all the correct medical checks were done.
Mounjaro is currently only available on the NHS for those who are older than 18 and who meet strict criteria – they need to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher and four or more weight-related health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea.
Ms Harris had private treatment after increasingly struggling to walk around her constituency and believes others opting to take weight-loss drugs should do so for health-related reasons.
“I started having difficulty [walking in Swansea]and had to stop a quarter of the way in,” she said.
Also, a factor for her to take the jabs would be after “relentless criticism” about her appearance from online trolls that would take a toll on her everyday working life.
“I felt how I looked or what I was wearing had become more important than my politics,” continued Ms Harris.
“I can be bolshie if I’m fighting for a cause or for someone else, but deep down I’m very sensitive.”
After 14 months on the medication, Carolyn says it has changed her life.
“I’m physically fitter, I have more energy, and I think better, which sounds weird, but I do because I don’t get tired so easily.
“I used to get a lot of aches and pains, and I don’t get the aches and pains now. Before, if I had to walk for long distances, I’d be filled with dread.”
The National Pharmacy Association recently voiced concerns about the surge in demand for the likes of Mounjaro or Ozempic and how people were turning to beauty salons or social media to get them.
In England, anyone prescribing weight-loss injections must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
But in Wales, only doctors are required to register with the Welsh equivalent, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), meaning other healthcare professionals are not legally required to meet the same standards or be routinely inspected.
Some experts have described this as inadequate regulation, opening up an unsafe black market for such products.
“The people who elect to get these drugs from unlicensed places are playing Russian roulette with their lives,” she added.
“They don’t know what they might be injecting into themselves and that terrifies me.
“I made sure I went to a GP to get mine, rather than just going online, because I really wanted to make sure all the correct medical checks were done.”
Ms Harris said she has never spent more than £150 a month on her private prescription, but, like many of the 750,000 people in the UK who are thought to be using Mounjaro, she now faces paying hundreds of pounds extra a month. Her 15mg dose is increasing to £429 a month.
She has written to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to ask for help for those who cannot afford the weight-loss jab.
In the letter, Ms Harris said the impact of the price rise was of “huge concern” and called on him to work with the manufacturers to “keep the cost for patients at, or near, the current level”. It would also “keep the NHS waiting list at a lower level,” she claimed.
In the letter, she explained the drug could be life-saving and save the NHS millions, with obesity currently costing the NHS £107bn each year.
It comes as thousands of NHS patients who could benefit from the weight-loss jab Mounjaro are missing out due to funding issues.
The Welsh government states that weight-loss treatments such as Mounjaro are prescription-only and should only be obtained and used in accordance with a prescription from a registered and appropriately trained healthcare professional.
“No one should purchase prescription only medicines other than from reputable suppliers such as registered pharmacies. Medicines obtained from unregulated sources pose a major risk to people’s safety.
“Healthcare professionals prescribing weight-loss treatments must act in accordance with the standards set by the respective professional regulatory bodies.”
Speaking on behalf of the British Medical Association (BMA) Dr Gareth Oelmann said:
“GLP-1 weight loss injections, and Mounjaro is just one of them, is a promising development for obesity management.
“But safe prescribing, clear commissioning, and robust patient safeguards must come as part and parcel of that wider rollout.”
#BritishMedicalAssociation #CarolynHarrisMP #featured #Mounjaro #NHS #weightLoss #WelshGovernment
Doctors out in force on picket lines outside NHS hospitals at start of 5-day strike
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/doctors-out-force-picket-lines-36414208
Patients will 'feel impact' of latest doctors' strike as UK battles super-flu tsunami
Welsh Government hands GPs £41m pay boost after threat of dispute
The deal, struck between ministers, NHS Wales and the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) Wales, includes a 4% uplift to the general medical services contract in 2025‑26 — in line with independent DDRB recommendations — and a guaranteed 5.8% recurrent funding uplift from 2026‑27.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said the package “demonstrates our unwavering commitment to general practice in Wales,” adding:
“The 4% pay uplift ensures fair recognition for GPs and practice staff who work tirelessly to deliver care for communities across our country.”
What’s in the deal
The settlement delivers £37.9m in fresh investment, backed up by £4m re‑deployed from capacity funding, to shore up surgeries for 2025‑26. Alongside the pay rise, there’s a 1.77% uplift for expenses to help practices cope with spiralling costs, and a recurrent £20m injection to stabilise services and prepare for reform.
The partnership premium is also being boosted to keep experienced GPs in the system and make partnerships more attractive — a move aimed at securing continuity of care for patients. And in a significant step, the government has promised the first full review in more than 20 years of the allocation formula for the General Medical Services contract, raising hopes that funding will finally reflect the realities of today’s communities.
Hard‑won agreement
But the deal didn’t come easily. Doctors had warned they were prepared to enter a formal contract dispute and even ballot for collective action if ministers failed to meet their demands.
Dr Gareth Oelmann, chair of the BMA’s GP committee in Wales, said:
“This settlement provides much‑needed stability for practices and recognises the tireless work of GPs and their teams. But it comes against a backdrop of years of underinvestment, and we will continue to press for a fairer share of NHS funding for general practice.”
Committee members unanimously backed the final package, describing it as a stabilising step that gives practices the certainty they need to plan ahead. The profession, however, made clear that trust has been strained by years of underfunding — and that the promised review of the allocation formula will be a crucial test of whether funding really reflects the needs of today’s communities.
Wider concerns
Critics warn the funding boost doesn’t undo a decade of decline. The BMA has pointed out that the share of NHS Wales spending on general practice has dropped from 8.7% to just 6% since 2005 — a slide described as “like turning a supertanker.” Only last year, almost 99% of Welsh GPs rejected a government contract offer, underlining how fragile confidence remains.
Miles insisted the multi‑year deal will allow practices to invest in transformation and deliver more care closer to home. Working groups are also being set up to improve access standards and tackle diabetes prevention, with GPs actively involved in shaping new service models.
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#BMA #BritishMedicalAssociation #doctor #doctorSPay #doctorsSurgery #GeneralPractitioner #GeneralPractitionersCommittee #GP #GPPay #GPC #JeremyMilesMS #payRise #WelshGovernment
£300k of sweets and fizzy drinks sold in Swansea Bay hospitals, FOI reveals
The figures show Swansea Bay’s hospitals generated more than £153,000 profit from the sales, up from £141,925 the previous year.
Hospital kiosks made six‑figure profits from junk food sales
The FOI shows a year‑on‑year increase in both sales and profit from confectionery and sugary drinks across Swansea Bay University Health Board sites. The gross profit margin averaged around 48%.
The findings come against a backdrop of rising obesity and type 2 diabetes rates in Wales, with public health campaigns urging people to cut down on sugar.
Freelance journalist uncovers FOI data across NHS sites
The figures were obtained by freelance investigative journalist George Winter, who has been examining junk food sales across NHS sites in Wales and the wider UK.
“This expenditure at a time of soaring rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity is scandalous and Swansea Bay UHB should justify their spending on junk food,” he said.
Doctors call for healthier hospital food environments
The British Medical Association has previously urged NHS hospitals to phase out vending machines selling high‑sugar products.
“Hospitals should be setting an example, not selling products that contribute to obesity and diabetes,” the BMA said.
Health Board response
Swansea Bay University Health Board was invited to respond to this article, however after over a week they were unable to provide an approved statement.
At a glance: Swansea Bay hospital junk food sales
- 💷 2023/24 sales: £295,677 → £141,925 profit
- 💷 2024/25 sales: £318,891 → £153,068 profit
- 📈 Profit margin: 48%
- ⚠️ Context: Rising obesity and type 2 diabetes rates in Wales
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#BritishMedicalAssociation #FOI #hospitalFood #junkFood #MorristonHospital #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotHospital #obesity #SingletonHospital #Swansea #SwanseaBayUniversityHealthBoard #Type2Diabetes
skua#Gaza
#BMA #BritishMedicalAssociation holds;
2. That this meeting believes that criticism of the actions of the state of Israel is not per se antisemitic.
An update on the BMA’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict
The BMA is aware of a number of social media posts and queries about motions passed at ARM relating to the crisis in Gaza. Some information being shared is incorrect. We are releasing this statement to provide clarity.
Peter Link 🍉🇨🇺🇵🇸🐧Why the British #Medical Association is speaking out on #Gaza
The #union recently passed a series of motions calling for action and accountability amid the destruction of #Palestinian #healthcare services
from #MiddleEastEye
Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini - Opinion
9 July 2025 10:42 BST
Last update: ~5:45 EDT
"Across the UK and around the world, the tide has turned. From musicians chanting at Glastonbury, to students occupying campuses, to doctors’ unions passing motions of solidarity, public opinion has shifted. People are demanding an end to active participation in genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The votes two weeks ago at the #BritishMedicalAssociation’s annual representative meeting - the largest gathering of doctors in the #UK - are a powerful symbol of that shift.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/why-british-medical-association-speaking-out-gaza
#StopStarvingGaza
#EndBlockadeOfGaza #RestoreFundsToUNRWA
#BDS #DivestFromIsrael
#SolidarityWithPalestineIsNotAntisemitism
#Israel #Palestine #MiddleEast #WestAsia
#news #press #politics @palestine
artfulrobotThanks @nicol for pointing me to the #BMA #britishMedicalAssociation's resolution not to work with #planatir and to get it out of our #nhs
