From 4h agoKey events29m agoSummary of the day so far …53m agoEducation secretary defends ‘rude and dismissive’ comments that employers don’t look at A-level results3h ago’More patients will benefit from a speedier diagnosis’: NHS England clinical director for cancer3h agoA-level results in England show biggest drop on record4h agoThursday’s newspaper front pages4h agoMinister: ‘advice from clinical experts’ behind changes to NHS England cancer targets4h agoGovernment confirms it is to scrap two-week cancer wait target in NHS England4h agoWelcome and opening summaryFilters BETAKey events (8)Alexandra Topping (3)Angela Rayner (3)29m ago07.30 EDTSummary of the day so far …
The government has confirmed that seven NHS England cancer targets are to be scrapped, as the service moves to having three performance standards from October. The new guidelines will move away from what the government termed the “outdated” two-week wait target. Currently that two-week wait target is not being met.
Health minister Will Quince has claimed the government is scrapping the two-week cancer target in NHS England after clinical consultations. He said: “The biggest factor in people surviving cancer is the stage at which they are diagnosed. We have listened to the advice from clinical experts and NHS England to reform cancer standards which will speed up diagnosis for patients.”
A-level grades awarded to students in England have shown their biggest drop after results plummeted across the board in line with the government’s policy of enforcing a return to pre-pandemic grading. England’s results showed a large gap in top grades compared with Wales and Northern Ireland, which were also announced today. Northern Ireland awarded A*-A grades to 37.5% of its A-level entries, while Wales awarded 34% – in stark contrast to the 26.5% in England. Scottish pupils got their results on 8 August, which also showed a fall.
The UK education secretary has been forced to defend remarks saying that in ten years time, nobody would be looking at the grades teenagers earned today. Gillian Keegan, the sixth Conservative education secretary since the 2019 general election, told reporters “it is true, it is just real” after saying “‘What will people ask you in ten years’ time?’ They won’t ask you anything about your A-level grades in ten years’ time. They will ask you about other things you have done since then: what you have done in the work place, what you did at university? And then, after a period of time, they don’t even ask you what you did at university.”
Labour’s shadow education spokesperson Bridget Phillipson said “I think the comments from the secretary of state are incredibly rude and dismissive. This is a nerve-racking day for young people who’ve worked incredibly hard. The last thing that they need is the secretary of state offering comments like that. She’s talking down England’s young people, and she needs to apologise.”
2023-08-17 06:30:44
Article from www.theguardian.com
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