do you agree with the bma?— day averages 11,500. do you agree with the bma?the bma? ultimately these are decisions that are _ with the bma? ultimately these are decisions that are made _ with the bma? ultimately these are decisions that are made by - with the bma? ultimately these are decisions that are made by the - decisions that are made by the government. my view is that we need to ensure we don't see numbers go up again. it would be a disasterfor the country and the health service if we were put into it —— if we went into a third peak, putting further pressure on hospital services. the other important thing to bear in mind is that the routine work that hospitals do has been very much restricted because of the need to treat patients with covid. so for instance, we have 11.5 million people on the waiting list for surgery. we know the numbers have increased. over 200,000 people now waiting more than 12 months for surgery. and so if we see a further increase in patients in hospital with covid, that will put further pressure is and people will be waiting even

doctor simon walsh of the bma, thank you very - walsh of the bma, thank you very much for your time.n on monday and older pupils could join them on march the 15th. our correspondent in cardiff, tomos morgan, explained what we can expect to be announced by wales's first minister, mark drakeford, later on today. i think what the first minister was saying really, kind of what he's been saying all along, he wants things to be moving in the right direction before he starts making decisions, the kind of key factors and measures he bases those decisions on, the rate of vaccinations, currently the highest levels yet in terms of the number of people getting vaccinated and the number that have been vaccinated, the highest of the four nations. the case rates of people, that number of people that have coronavirus in wales, again, the lowest of the four nations. and the number of people in hospital, continues to decrease and the r rate, as well, decreasing so because those are moving in the right direction, the first minister has said today and will say in his press conference he is looking ahead

big bets bma on the economy. -- big bets being made on the economy. a rally in risk assets.oe, what is your dollar position? joe: well, i am long dollar, obviously. are there any veterans looking to engineer a short squeeze, check out positioning in the dollar. very overwhelming, the short position. we have had a bit of a dollar rally. a very short dollar. so the opportunity there, get on it. standard chartered, the dollar has had a decent start to 2021. you do not think this is going to last? >> we do not. there have been a couple of things. the vaccines. the prospects of more fiscal. i think in the short term, the market has been resisting the temptation for high nominal yields. but when you see that underlying this, it is almost all inflation expectation, and the prospect that the external financing needs are going to get much wider. this is a weak dollar prospect. and to be clear, what we have seen is the asian currency index is flat against the dollar. it is mainly european currencies that have been soft here. but i think what it is telling us is the structure of the ev

as the bma from the programme was pointing out because you will by then starting to do the second jabse the slots will be taken. so these momentum of the pace is bound to slow. , ~ ., �* , momentum of the pace is bound to slow. , ,, ., �* , ., momentum of the pace is bound to slow. , ~ ., �*, ., slow. yes, i think that's a good oint. i slow. yes, i think that's a good point. i think— slow. yes, i think that's a good point. i think that's _ slow. yes, i think that's a good point. i think that's interesting| point. i think that's interesting that it's — point. i think that's interesting that it's not reported anywhere else _ that it's not reported anywhere else and — that it's not reported anywhere else. and it's attributed to matt hancock — else. and it's attributed to matt hancock and not the prime minister. i do hancock and not the prime minister. i do think— hancock and not the prime minister. i do think some of these targets actually— i do think some of these targets actually work more for internal reasons — actually work more for internal reasons as _ actually work more for intern

the government here has been under some pressure, feeling the heat over the vaccine question with the bmahappy with this recommendation that people have to wait 12 weeks for the second dose of the pfizer vaccine. all governments are facing trouble, they've pre—bought doses, but they can't promise they can deliver the vaccination programme they hope to achieve. that's not the lesson of the day... this has been the most extraordinary tutorial the eu has given us in the value of the democratic nation state with an elected government directly accountable to its own population. it's turned out to be the most effective, flexible, proactive and responsive form of government in the world... and the tutorial that the eu has given us in the dangers of supranational... they send us quite explicitly, the ideological commitment to unified action of all 27 member states and to the bureaucratic processes it took to get what turned out to be quite a simple and effective action that the uk took on ordering vaccine and subsidising the production of it. that is a lesson most people in europe and certainly i

she's rubbished suggestions from gps, patients and even the bma that scotland's roll—out was sluggishhat he needed to hit. i've not rubbished the concerns of anybody. in fact, we worked with gps and others to make sure that any issues that are being raised are appropriately addressed and any challenges that are being faced are overcome. in wales, the health minister gave a virtual meeting of the senedd — an upbeat assessment of progress made delivering vaccines to older and vulnerable people. our focus now is on the - pleading vaccines for all those in the force four priority groups. | in the last week, we've| vaccinated more people as a present of our population any of the uk nations. - we are on track to deliverl by the middle of february. we expect to sustain. this level of progress, and in fact, expect to see an additional step up. - vaughan gething. and those priority groups are set out by thejcvi — thejoint committee on vaccination and immunisation. the labour—run welsh government is not adopting sir keir starmer�*s suggestion that all school staff should be vaccinated this mont

she has rubbished suggestions from gps, patients and even the bma that the scottish rollout was sluggishished _ needed to here. i have not rubbished the _ needed to here. i have not rubbished the concerns i needed to here. i have not rubbished the concerns of| rubbished the concerns of anybody. we have worked with gps and — anybody. we have worked with gps and others to make sure that— gps and others to make sure that any— gps and others to make sure that any issues being raised are appropriately addressed and challenges that are being faced are overcome. in challenges that are being faced are overcome.— are overcome. in wales, the health minister _ are overcome. in wales, the health minister gave - are overcome. in wales, the health minister gave a i are overcome. in wales, the| health minister gave a virtual meeting of the senedd. and up beat assessment of progress made delivering vaccines to older and vulnerable people. our focus now is on completing vaccine offers for all those in the first four priority groups. in the last week we vaccinated more people as a percentage of our popula

on your second point about what the bme have said, i completely appreciate the bma's point, i regularlyas very clear, and they have taken weeks — very clear, and they have taken weeks to— very clear, and they have taken weeks to make this decision and that is because _ weeks to make this decision and that is because they've examined all the evidence _ is because they've examined all the evidence available. occupation, sex, a-e, evidence available. occupation, sex, age. all— evidence available. occupation, sex, age, all other variables that they could _ age, all other variables that they could possibly think of to give us a better— could possibly think of to give us a better bicycle. they've done that for 30 _ better bicycle. they've done that for 30 years, we have never departed from their— for 30 years, we have never departed from their advice and 30 years. they have said _ from their advice and 30 years. they have said today that those at highest — have said today that those at highest risk of hospitalisation outside — highest risk of hospitalisation outside of cohorts one are those a

the bma has been hearing all sorts of issues from our doctors, but as you have heard, this is affecting to do so, some are absolutely sure the uk can. what we have at the bma is evidence that doctors were more than three times more likely to contract covid than other people, and we can link that potentially to inadequate ppe in some cases. even now we are fighting for properly fitted ppe. certainly backin for properly fitted ppe. certainly back in the first wave, there were many people without adequate ppe seeing patients, doctors and nurses are seeing patients coming in and well with covid symptoms, and they were putting their own lives at risk. unfortunately now we are seeing that a significant number of people have got devastating symptoms where they are unable to work. compensation is the call from this group of mps and peers that you are backing. what kind of form with that take? would that be a one—off payment, or is it for the duration of a case of long how would it work? we would be looking at something similar to the armed forces payment which can be a one—off payment or a mini

dr david wrigley there, a gp who is also part of the bma, the british medical association.he latest weekly coronavirus surveillance report from public health england. it showss covid—i9 case rates are continuing to fall in all regions of england. 0ur health correspondent, catherine burns, is here. you have had a bit of a chance to read some of it, a large amount of statistics, but what we know so far? good news, and it ties in with the kind of stuff we have seen from all the other sets of data you have spoken about today. public health england says cases are following, hospital admissions are falling and deaths are falling. we will break it down a bit more. public health england, for example, calls out what it calls respiratory infection incidence. two weeks ago they were looking at about one has won hundred of them and last week it was down to 767, this week down to 541, so that is outbreaks and things like care homes, prisons, hospitals and workplaces, so we can see they are falling from that. then if we look at hospital admissions, last week there are about 19.4 hospital

she has rubbished suggestions from gps, patients and even the bma that scotland �*s that was sluggishng the over 80s, but the same problem is happening in the next cohort stop today's statement indicates 21% of 75-79 today's statement indicates 21% of 75—79 —year—olds receive the vaccine which is good news for them but is stilljust which is good news for them but is still just a which is good news for them but is stilljust a quarter of which is good news for them but is still just a quarter of the proportion vaccinated south of the border. the problem extends to all of the over 70s. they are writing to us in huge numbers about another missed target. last nightjeane freeman said they would get invitation letters by the end of the week. they have been waiting but it hasn't happened. let me ask the first minister. by what date will all over 70s now get their letter or be otherwise contacted? she will she accept further offers of support from the armed forces until she now finally explain why the roll—out in scotland is so far behind? first minister. every _ scotland is so far behind? fir