Sir Keir Starmer Urges Doctors to Accept Deal to Avert Christmas Strikes Amid 'Super Flu' Outbreak
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged resident doctors to accept a government deal to avert planned Christmas strikes amid a serious 'super flu' outbreak. The NHS is currently facing its most precarious moment since the pandemic, with flu cases at record levels for this time of year.
If the deal is rejected, five consecutive days of strikes are scheduled to begin at 7am on 17 December. The government has stated that the offer would enable the British Medical Association (BMA) to postpone strikes until after Christmas. The BMA is currently putting the new government offer to its members through an online vote ending on Monday.
Public support for the strikes appears low, with a YouGov poll indicating 58% of people oppose the action while 33% back it. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has highlighted that patients are pleading not to be abandoned this Christmas as flu continues to sweep through the NHS.
The flu outbreak is also affecting schools nationwide, causing closures and staffing disruptions. For example, a Cornwall school closed due to flu and strep infections, Radwinter Church of England Primary School in Essex closed because of norovirus, and St Martin's School in Caerphilly shut after over 250 pupils and staff became ill. Additionally, Congleton High School in Cheshire closed temporarily in November for a deep clean.
NHS data reveal that flu hospitalisations in England remain at a record high for this time of year, having risen by 55% in just one week.
