BMA warns against public panic as flu surge and doctor strikes loom
The British Medical Association (BMA) is urging the public not to panic about a looming flu outbreak while its members vote on planned strikes by resident doctors in England next week.
This comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed grave concern about a “double whammy”: more flu patients flooding hospitals and imminent strikes by junior doctors.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, emphasized that the union isn’t discounting flu’s impact, but argued Streeting should not inflame fears that the NHS cannot care for patients.
A ballot result is due on Monday. If the outcome is negative, a five-day strike would begin on Wednesday.
The government contends that the proposed deal would prioritise British medical graduates for specialty training slots starting next year and would cover training-related costs, including exam fees. It does not include a pay rise.
In a Guardian op-ed, Sir Keir Starmer noted that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years, challenging the government’s framing of the issue.
On Saturday morning, the BMA urged Health Secretary Streeting to devote his energy to securing an agreement that would avert next week’s strikes, rather than claiming the NHS could collapse as a result of industrial action.
The BMA has informed NHS Trust chief executives in England that, if a strike occurs, resident doctors may be recalled to duty to safeguard patient safety. The letter, signed by BMA council chair Dr. Tom Dolphin, stated the doctors’ aim is to ensure patient safety first and foremost.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said Streeting had listened to resident doctors’ concerns and offered an improved proposal.
Streeting told LBC that the current situation represents perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since the Covid era and questioned why the BMA hadn’t delayed action to January if they wanted to avoid damage. He suggested the timing reflects the NHS’s current pain, implying the strikes are a necessary response to ongoing strain.
Prime Minister and others echoed this sentiment, calling the strikes reckless and noting the NHS faces its most precarious moment since the pandemic. Starmer reiterated in The Guardian that the government had offered a new deal and a chance to postpone strikes until after Christmas, stressing that while cancellation would be preferable, all options had been explored to protect the NHS.
The BMA said it would consult its members on whether the government’s offer might persuade them to call off Wednesday’s strikes. A positive vote would allow time for more detailed review and could lead to a follow-up referendum to end the dispute entirely.
Some experts describe this winter’s flu season as unusually early and potentially severe due to a newly mutated virus strain circulating, sometimes referred to as “super flu.” However, officials argue the illness is not inherently more dangerous or harder to treat.
Last week, England reported an average of 2,660 flu-related hospital inpatients per day—the highest for this period since records began in 2021 and a 55% rise from the prior week. It’s important to note that the 2021 baseline doesn’t capture the two worst flu seasons of the last 15 years (2014-15 and 2017-18).
Flu activity is also climbing in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. London’s NHS medical director, Chris Streather, said the situation remains within the NHS’s capacity and that hospitals are better prepared for large disease spikes than before the pandemic. He cautioned that speculation can fuel unnecessary worry.
