Rishi hospital

LONDON: Hospital bosses and doctors on Thursday (Mar 26) warned of being swamped by a "tsunami" of COVID-19 patients in London, as Britain braced for a peak in cases and the government faced calls to urgently provide specialist kit and tests for frontline health workers. Scientists, though, warned that thousands of new ventilators may come too late while the government said it failed to join a European scheme to boost capacity because of a communications "mix up". Britain initially adopted a light-touch approach to the outbreak but has since imposed tougher measures, including a three-week lockdown, as confirmed cases and deaths climbed. As of 1700 GMT on Wednesday, there were 11,658 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths surged past 100 in 24 hours for the first time to bring the total to 578. READ: UK deaths from COVID-19 outbreak climb to 463 The chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents the heads of hospital trusts in the state-run National Health Service, … [Read more...] about London hospitals facing ‘tsunami’ of COVID-19 patients: Health official

Britain's Covid response is one of the major subjects set to feature in today's 2021 Budget. Rishi Sunak is set to use his House of Commons speech to focus on four themes - "support, vision, recovery, honesty". The Tory Chancellor is tipped to extend the stamp duty holiday, furlough scheme and other Covid support by three months, with the Universal Credit £20-a-week uplift expected to continue for another six months. The Tory Chancellor could also announce a string of other measures to help the economy recover from the pandemic which has inflicted huge debt on the UK. However he is also set to be "honest" about needing to recover £280billion of Covid spending, amid reports of a hike in corporation tax and income tax allowances frozen. What time is the Budget? Mr Sunak will stand up to deliver the Budget straight after Prime Minister's Questions at around 12.30pm. After he has unveiled his plans for the year ahead, Labour will respond before several days of … [Read more...] about What time is the 2021 Budget? What Rishi Sunak is – and isn’t – likely to unveil

Furlough will be extended until the end of September, the chancellor will announce, as he unveils more support for workers and the self-employed. Ahead of the budget , Rishi Sunak has revealed that millions of workers will continue to have 80% of their wages paid until the end of September. More than 600,000 additional people, including many of the self-employed who previously missed out on grants, will also get support. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Budget 2021: To spend or to tax is key query It comes ahead of a budget in which the government is expected to announce more support to get the country through the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also level with the nation and explain how tax rises will be required in order to balance the books. Mr Sunak will also set out his long-term vision for the UK and how he intends to make the City more attractive to global investors post-Brexit as part of a … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: Chancellor Rishi Sunak will extend furlough scheme until end of September

No10 denied distancing itself from Rishi Sunak's 'Eat Out to Help Out' policy, after it was absent from his glossy Budget promo video. The Chancellor yesterday released a five-and-a-half minute, taxpayer funded advert in which he recounted the turbulent year since he was made chancellor. He listed a raft of policies introduced by the treasury - including measures to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic. And there were a grand total of 134 images of Mr Sunak's face during the lengthy online ad. But there was not a single word about perhaps the most high profile policy campaign of the Chancellor's first year in office. Studies have suggested the policy, intended to boost spending in the hospitality industry, contributed to a second wave of infections. Policies mentioned by the Chancellor - or flashed up on screen - in the clip included: Funding to build Roads Scrapping the 'Tampon tax' Freezing the Fuel duty Funding for the NHS An infrastructure fund A climate fund … [Read more...] about Rishi Sunak mentions 22 policies in Budget promo video – but not Eat Out To Help Out

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that has served as a lifeline supporting workers amid the layoffs and lockdowns that the COVID-19 pandemic entailed will be extended until the end of September, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to announce in the new UK government budget, writes The Guardian . Also known as “furlough”, the support scheme which pays 80 percent of employees' wages for the hours they cannot work in the pandemic was introduced at the start of lockdown in March 2020, and has already been extended twice, with the last extension coming in November. The scheme is currently estimated to have cost the Treasury around £50bln ($69bln). As the UK Spring Budget statement is to be delivered to the House of Commons at around 12.30 GMT, the Chancellor will announce the government’s commitment to doing "whatever it takes to support the British people and businesses through this moment of crisis". Earlier, the Treasury added that the budget would have three themes: “Support, … [Read more...] about Furlough ‘Lifeline’ to be Extended in UK Budget Offering ‘Support, Honesty, Building Future Economy’