"NHS Waiting List Reductions Jeopardized by Potential Industrial Action, Warns Minister"
UK Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has warned that Chancellor Rishi Sunak's pledge to cut NHS waiting lists may be at risk due to potential industrial action by doctors. Atkins urged doctors to reach an agreement with the government over pay and conditions, stating that the waiting list target cannot be met unless they do. The government still needs doctors' unions to approve a deal and for junior doctors to strike a separate agreement to resolve the ongoing chaos in the health service. The waiting list is one of four pledges that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been unable to meet, along with growing the economy, cutting government debt, and stopping small boat crossings across the Channel.