Labour pledged not to raise taxes directly on “working people,” committing to hold off on increases to National Insurance, VAT, and income tax. However, the budget raised National Insurance contributions for employers and increased capital gains tax, which may indirectly affect workers by driving up business costs.
Primary care appears to be under immense strain, facing financial challenges that threaten its sustainability. The Treasury has compounded these pressures by imposing significant National Insurance increases on GP practices. This comes on top of rising operational costs and an overwhelming demand for services.
Hearing those words—Mr. Lilley, you have cancer—changed everything. You’ll never feel the same again. Even writing them sends a chill down my spine, raising the hair on the back of my neck. It sets my mind racing, replaying the moments of my life, with all its failures and missteps flashing before me.
Quadrant prioritisation, popularised by Steven Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is actually based on Eisenhower’s Matrix. President Dwight D. Eisenhower originally developed this method to prioritise tasks by urgency and importance.
Missed hospital appointments, or DNAs (Did Not Attend), cost the NHS around £2.6 million per day. In the UK, 46 appointments are missed every minute. In 2023/24 alone, eight million patients failed to attend their scheduled appointments, significantly impacting healthcare resources.
Start with the most difficult task on your list. Tackle the job you’re dreading the most, the one you’ve been putting off. By getting it done first, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, and the rest of your day will seem much easier in comparison.
For every degree the temperature falls below 5°C, England experiences an estimated increase of around 10,000 additional hospital admissions. This rise is often linked to cold-related illnesses such as respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, which tend to worsen as temperatures drop, particularly affecting vulnerable populations like the elderly.
