London (TDI): The UK is grappling with an “unprecedented wave of super flu,” health authorities have warned, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned plans for a five-day strike by resident doctors next week, calling it “reckless” and dangerous for patients.
Starmer wrote in The Guardian that the National Health Service (NHS) is experiencing its “most precarious moment since the pandemic,” citing soaring flu cases across the country. NHS data released on Thursday showed hospital admissions for flu had jumped 55% in a single week, averaging 2,660 patients per day.
NHS National Medical Director Meghana Pandit warned that record demand combined with the potential strike puts the health service in a “worst-case scenario” heading into the winter period. Health Secretary Wes Streeting added that flu hospitalisations could triple before peaking and described the current situation as “inexcusable.”
The strike, scheduled to begin Wednesday, would mark the 14th walkout by UK medics since March 2023, disrupting efforts to reduce patient waiting times, which have been exacerbated by repeated industrial action from both resident doctors and consultants.
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Resident doctors, who are below consultant level, are in dispute with the government over pay and the availability of training posts. Streeting has agreed to give UK-trained doctors priority for training positions over overseas candidates and to increase the number of available posts. Starmer urged doctors to accept the government’s offer, describing it as a “good deal.”
However, the government has refused to increase pay, citing a 28.9% rise over the past three years, the highest across the public sector. The British Medical Association (BMA), representing resident doctors, is demanding an additional 26% pay increase to restore earnings eroded by years of below-inflation pay deals. The BMA will survey members on the new offer, with voting closing on Monday.
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The looming strike and the severe flu outbreak have intensified pressure on the NHS and the government, with concerns mounting over patient safety and the health service’s capacity to cope during the peak winter period.
