How the Christmas doctor strikes could affect you as ‘super flu’ spreads ...Middle East

A five-day strike by resident doctors has started in England just as hospitals are dealing with the highest flu admissions ever recorded for this point in winter.

The walkout, which began at 7am on Wednesday, is the 14th round of industrial action by resident doctors since March 2023 and comes during one of the most pressured periods of the year for the NHS.

Hospitals have been instructed to aim to deliver 95 per cent of normal activity during the strike period.

However, senior health officials have warned that thousands of patients could still see their routine operations and appointments cancelled or delayed.

The disruption from strike action is being compounded by one of the most severe flu outbreaks in recent years, with hospital wards filling rapidly due to a new strain of the virus that has been dubbed a “super flu”.

NHS England has advised patients to attend appointments as planned unless contacted directly, but has warned that “inevitably some appointments will have to be rescheduled” as pressure on services increases.

Why this year’s flu season is worse than ever

This winter’s surge in flu cases is being driven largely by the H3N2 strain.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that the strain has evolved more rapidly than usual, raising concerns that existing immunity in the population may be lower than in previous seasons.

The impact is already being felt in hospitals. NHS data shows that bed occupancy for flu in the first week of December was more than 50 per cent higher than at the same point last year. Over the same period, an average of 2,660 patients a day were in hospital with flu in England – the highest figure ever recorded for this stage of winter.

NHS England expects admissions to rise further. It predicts that between 5,000 and 8,000 people a day could be hospitalised with flu at the peak of the season.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England’s national medical director, has warned that “the peak is not in sight yet”, leaving the health service facing “an extremely challenging few weeks ahead”.

International trends suggest the pressure may persist. The World Health Organisation has said that although global flu activity remains within expected seasonal ranges overall, some regions have experienced earlier increases and higher-than-typical levels of transmission.

In the southern hemisphere, several countries recorded unusually long flu seasons this year, with virus activity remaining elevated well beyond the typical peak.

The rapid spread of this new “super flu” is partly being blamed on low vaccination uptake in some parts of the population, including healthcare workers, the elderly and school children.

UKHSA data shows the proportion of health staff getting the jabs has fallen from a peak in the pandemic, with only 37.8 per cent getting inoculated last year, down from 76.8 per cent in 2020.

Why resident doctors are striking

Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are fully qualified doctors who have completed medical school and foundation training. They make up around half of all doctors working in the NHS.

The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents them, says doctors’ pay has fallen significantly in real terms since 2008, despite recent increases.

The union also argues that a shortage of specialty training places is preventing doctors from progressing in their careers, leaving many stuck in temporary roles or forced to leave the NHS.

Ministers, however, argue that resident doctors have already received significant pay rises, including a 4 per cent uplift and a £750 consolidated payment in 2025–26.

The Government has also offered non-pay measures, such as expanding training posts and covering some exam fees, but Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said further pay increases are “completely unacceptable”.

The current strike action is scheduled to run for five days, from 7am on Wednesday 17 December until 7am on Monday 22 December.

Is this walkout poorly timed?

The timing of the strike has drawn sharp criticism from ministers, who argue it coincides with rising flu admissions and mounting winter pressure across the NHS.

The Government has accused the BMA of planning the walkout at a moment designed to “inflict as much damage as they can”.

Speaking on Times Radio the day before the strike began, health minister Stephen Kinnock said: “For reasons best known to themselves, they have insisted on going ahead with this strike action right in the heart of the Christmas season, and that I think is dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible.”

He added: “I just fear that the leadership of the BMA are hell-bent on going on with these strikes, and frankly, trying to inflict as much damage as they can on the NHS, and that is simply the wrong thing to do.”

The union has firmly rejected those claims. Dr Shivam Sharma, deputy chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, told LBC Radio: “We know that senior colleagues, consultants, will be covering this strike action, and studies have shown that mortality rates do not increase – they stay the same, if not decrease – during strike action because we have those experienced senior consultants covering.”

Behind the scenes, NHS leaders have been warning hospitals to prepare for additional strain. In a memo to trusts, Mike Prentice, the NHS national director for emergency planning, urged leaders to focus on reducing hospital bed occupancy “ahead of, during and after the industrial action, as we go into the peak holiday period”.

The pressure is not only coming from rising flu admissions. Staff shortages are also making it harder to discharge patients who are medically fit to leave the hospital. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has warned that the number of patients unable to be discharged has increased year-on-year.

In September, NHS England wrote to hospital leaders demanding “urgent action” to improve flu vaccination uptake among staff, with all trusts told to increase coverage by five percentage points compared with last year.

Given those pressures, there are growing concerns that the impact of the strike will extend beyond Christmas.

Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, has warned that disruption could be “felt all the way into January and beyond”.

Speaking to Sky News, she said waiting lists were likely to be particularly affected and that “there isn’t much wriggle room in the system”.

What this means for your NHS care over Christmas

The overlap of the resident doctors’ strike and a heavy flu season means some disruption to care is likely, NHS England says.

It advises that non-urgent outpatient appointments, follow-ups and planned procedures are the most likely to be postponed, with hospitals prioritising urgent and life-saving care during the five days of industrial action.

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Routine appointments may be rescheduled at short notice, but patients are being urged to attend as planned unless contacted directly by the NHS.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England’s National Medical Director, said: “Sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families.

She added: “It’s really important the public play their part by coming forward for care in the usual way – by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP.”

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