Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that planned strikes by resident doctors over Christmas, combined with a sharp increase in flu cases, could cause the NHS to collapse. He described the situation as the most challenging since the pandemic, urging doctors to accept the government's offer to end the dispute.
Flu cases in England have reached a record level for this time of year, with an average of 2,660 patients in hospital each day last week, a 55% rise from the previous week. Streeting said the number could triple by the peak, writing in The Times of scenes in hospitals as 'inexcusable'.
Resident doctors are set to strike from 17 to 22 December, although members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are voting on a new offer that could call off the action. Streeting appealed directly to doctors, saying, 'Christmas strikes could be the Jenga piece that collapses the tower.'
Dr Chris Streather, a regional medical director at NHS England, acknowledged the impact of flu admissions was 'pretty bad' but stressed it was not on the scale of the Covid pandemic. He said the NHS was coping, with better preparation for respiratory outbreaks, but urged people to follow healthy behaviours.
Streeting criticised the BMA for not accepting his offer to rearrange strikes for January, suggesting they wanted to cause maximum disruption. The BMA's online consultation on the new deal closes on Monday, two days before the strike is due to start.
