The Health Secretary has launched a furious attack on "self-indulgent" and "dangerous" doctors after they voted to proceed with a five-day strike in the days before Christmas, despite a surge in flu cases placing the NHS under severe strain.
Government Fury as Last-Minute Deal Rejected
Wes Streeting had made a last-minute offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) in a bid to halt the industrial action, which is set to begin at 7am on Wednesday. The offer included greater access to specialist training posts and financial support for expenses like exam fees, but it crucially did not contain any additional pay.
This proposal was roundly rejected by the BMA's resident doctor members. In a vote with a 65% turnout, 83% of doctors voted to continue with the strike, compared to 17% who voted against. The union dismissed the government's offer as "too little, too late".
Mr Streeting accused the BMA of choosing the timing to "inflict damage on the NHS at the moment of maximum danger" and hit out at their refusal to postpone until January. "There is no need for these strikes to go ahead this week, and it reveals the BMA’s shocking disregard for patient safety and for other NHS staff," he stated.
Record Flu Cases and a 'Very Difficult Christmas' for the NHS
The strike decision has prompted grave warnings of a "very difficult Christmas" for the health service. It coincides with a record level of flu cases in hospitals across England for this time of year, with a particularly virulent strain dubbed "super flu" sweeping the nation.
Figures show flu cases jumped by more than 55% in a single week. Some hospitals have reinstated mask mandates for staff, patients, and visitors, while others have declared critical incidents due to intense pressure on A&E departments.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "This vote is a bitter pill which will inevitably result in harm to patients and damage to the NHS. Trust leaders and staff will be working now to minimise the impact of the strike, but sadly it will mean further disruption and delays."
Political Condemnation and Public Sympathy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "gutted" by the news, awarding his disappointment a "ten out of ten". He joined the Health Secretary in appealing to doctors to ignore their union and go to work, warning they were losing public sympathy.
"It’s irresponsible at any time, particularly at the moment," Sir Keir told MPs. "It comes off the back of a very substantial pay increase over the last year or so... I would appeal to the doctors themselves to push back against the BMA."
Mr Streeting emphasised the unique risk, stating: "I am appealing to ordinary resident doctors to go to work this week. There is a different magnitude of risk in striking at this moment. Abandoning your patients in their hour of greatest need goes against everything a career in medicine is meant to be about."
He argued the strikes were now about the BMA's "totally unrealistic demand for another 26% on top of the 28.9% pay rise they’ve already had". A recent YouGov poll found public opposition to the strikes at a record high, with 53% of Britons against the action versus 38% in support.
The BMA, however, defended its position. Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: "Tens of thousands of frontline doctors have come together to say ‘no’ to what is clearly too little, too late. This week’s strike is still entirely avoidable." He urged the government to work with the union to avert "real-terms pay cuts" projected for 2026.
