Birmingham Hospital Faces £27 Million Deficit Amid Rising Wage Costs Despite Major Cuts Sunday, March 29, 2026 deficit nhs budget wages industrialaction savings workforce hospital finance strikes University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust is grappling with a significant financial shortfall, reporting a £27.2 million deficit as of February—over £21 million worse than expected at this stage in the fiscal … Read More
West Midlands Police Sick Leave for Stress Increases by 45% Over Four Years Thursday, March 19, 2026 westmidlands police stress absence wellbeing sickleave mentalhealth pcsos counselling workforce West Midlands Police (WMP) have experienced a significant increase in officer absences due to stress, rising by 45.4% between 2022 and 2025, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Request. The number of … Read More
DWP Confronts 'Existential' Crisis Amid Rising Youth Unemployment Wednesday, February 18, 2026 dwp youth unemployment workforce benefits pandemic skills employment training government The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing what has been described as an “existential” crisis: the urgent need to reintegrate younger people into the workforce. Recent data reveals that youth … Read More
Gender Pay Gap Narrowed at Dudley Council by Reducing Lower-Paid Female Roles Tuesday, February 10, 2026 genderpaygap dudley council employment wages women part-time paygap workforce roles Dudley Council has reported a reduction in its gender pay gap, a change primarily driven by cutting jobs held by lower-paid female staff, according to a recent report set to go before the council’s cabinet on February 11. The … Read More
HS2 Impacts Dudley Council’s Ability to Recruit Key Officers, Watchdog Hears Wednesday, January 28, 2026 hs2 dudley recruitment interim surveyors budget localgovernment cipfa overspend workforce Dudley Council’s chief executive has revealed that the HS2 rail project is intensifying recruitment challenges for key council officers. During a January 26 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, members discussed a … Read More
Skills Investment Key to West Midlands Meeting Ambitious Housebuilding Targets Monday, January 26, 2026 westmidlands construction skills training housing apprenticeships workforce education investment infrastructure The West Midlands is ramping up investment in construction skills training to meet its ambitious housebuilding targets. Mayor Richard Parker emphasized the critical role of workforce development in achieving regional housing … Read More