Health

JAPPA: UK TARGETS 300,000 DOCTORS, NURSES IN FRESH RECRUITMENT

Published

2 years ago

June 30, 2023

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The National Health Service in England will get more than 300,000 staff under a new plan announced by the government on Friday to deal with a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses.

The publicly-funded NHS, which marks its 75th birthday on Wednesday, is facing an estimated workforce shortfall of 360,000 by 2037 due to an ageing population, a lack of domestically trained health workers and difficulties retaining existing staff.

The government’s long-term workforce plan would include reducing the time doctors spend in medical school and training more homegrown staff.

“On the 75th anniversary of our health service, this government is making the largest single expansion in NHS education and training in its history.

“In the coming years we will train twice the number of doctors and an extra 24,000 more nurses a year, helping to cut waiting lists and improve patient care.

“We will do more to retain our brilliant NHS staff and reform the way the health system works to ensure it is fit for the future,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

NHS England currently has 112,000 vacancies as it struggles to fill the large number of workers leaving the service.

The NHS has seen unprecedented strikes over the last year, with staff complaining of being underpaid and overworked as they struggle to clear the backlog created during coronavirus lockdowns.

The government says the plan could mean an extra 60,000 doctors, 170,000 more nurses and 71,000 more health professionals in the NHS by 2037.

“The publication of our first-ever NHS long-term workforce plan now gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put staffing on sustainable footing for the years to come,” said NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard.

“As we look to adapt to new and rising demand for health services globally, this long-term blueprint is the first step in a major and much-needed expansion of our workforce to ensure we have the staff we need to deliver for patients.”

Health is a devolved matter, with the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland setting policy there. The UK government oversees health in England.

ThePUNCH

Health

NDA President Urges Better Dental Care, Warns Against Harmful Habits

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2025

By Onilede Titi Faith

The President of the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), Dr. Emedom Elias, has advised Nigerians to stop harmful oral habits, warning that the mouth is too delicate for practices such as using the teeth to open bottles.

Speaking at the association’s 58th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Abuja, Elias said such habits can cause tooth fractures, gum injuries, and other serious complications.

He stressed that quality dental care depends on access to modern equipment, sustained public awareness, and regular patient visits, noting that inadequate funding remains a major challenge in the sector.

Elias also lamented the scarcity of dental facilities in rural areas, where most communities lack access to basic oral healthcare.

He urged the government to integrate dental services into primary healthcare centres to improve nationwide access.

Abuja Reports

Dumpsite Takes Over Gwarimpa Road

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2025

Samson Adeyanju

By Olalekan Oyekunle

A dumpsite along 3rd Avenue, Gwarimpa, has engulfed almost the entire road, making passage difficult for motorists and causing distress for nearby traders.

Traders told Abuja City Journal that the stench emanating from the site is driving customers away and threatening their livelihoods.

Some said individuals from nearby estates often use the area as a dumping ground at night, worsening the situation.

The traders are appealing to law enforcement agencies to monitor the area closely and prevent further dumping, stressing that the current conditions are not only affecting business but also posing health and safety risks to residents.

Health

NIS, UNODC Partner to Tackle Migrant Smuggling, Crimes

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2025

By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to strengthen the fight against migrant smuggling and human trafficking through improved cyberspace awareness and digital surveillance.

In a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI AS Akinlabi, on Tuesday, the collaboration was formalised during a meeting at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.

Leading the UNODC team, Ms. Baranage Diana Marcus, Project Coordinator on Cybercrime, reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to support the NIS in tackling migration-related cybercrimes.

Representing the Comptroller-General, K. N. Nandap, Deputy Comptroller-General N. Odikpo described the partnership as timely, stressing the need for enhanced digital monitoring and coordinated enforcement.

The NIS said the collaboration demonstrates its commitment to promoting migration governance and strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to combat cyber-enabled trafficking.