Inside Story

What’s gone wrong with the UK’s National Health Service?

NHS healthcare staff calling for better pay and work conditions are pushing ahead with another round of strikes.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service has been a source of pride for millions of people for more than 70 years.

But nurses, angry about pay and working conditions, are planning another round of strikes this week – leading to greater disruption for the very people the institution is meant to serve.

Staff will walk off the job on Tuesday for the second time this month.

The government has refused to negotiate with them. Ministers say their wage demands are unaffordable.

On Wednesday, more than 10,000 ambulance workers – including paramedics – will down tools.

Hundreds of military personnel are preparing to step in and help.

What’s gone wrong with the NHS?

Presenter: Nastasya Tay

Guests:

Oksana Pyzik – Pharmacist and lecturer at UCL School of Pharmacy

Jeff Lazarus – Researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Jonathan Portes – Senior fellow in the Department of Political Economy at King’s College London