Wes Streeting warns Christmas strikes and flu surge could collapse NHS, urges doctors to accept government offer
Wes Streeting warned that Christmas strikes combined with a surge in flu cases could be the "Jenga piece" that collapses the NHS. He urged resident doctors to accept the government's offer amid increasing pressure on the health service.
Flu hospital admissions jumped by 55% in a week, averaging about 2,660 patients per day last week. Streeting wrote in the Times that hospital admissions in England could triple by the peak of the flu season and described hospital scenes as inexcusable.
NHS England's regional medical director Dr Chris Streather commented that the impact of flu is serious but not on the scale of the 2020 pandemic. He stated that the NHS is coping and is better prepared for outbreaks.
The British Medical Association leadership had planned Christmas strikes and will survey members online to decide whether to call them off. The poll closes on Monday, and a five-day strike is due to start if approval is given.
The government has made an offer to resident doctors that includes legislation to prioritise homegrown trainees for specialty training, creation of 1,000 new specialty training posts by 2026, and funding to cover mandatory examinations and Royal College membership fees.
