NHS Christmas strikes by resident doctors threaten care amid record flu surge

Thousands of resident doctors in the National Health Service plan to walk out from December 17 to December 22, raising fears of widespread disruption as hospitals confront a winter surge in flu. The five‑day strike comes with hospitals already under pressure from high patient demand and rising flu admissions.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting had asked the British Medical Association to postpone the action and offered a deal designed to avert the disruption. The package included a faster expansion of specialist training posts and coverage of out‑of‑pocket costs such as exam fees. A survey of BMA members showed a strong rebuff: about 83 percent rejected the offer while 17 percent supported it. Streeting labeled the decision self‑indulgent, irresponsible, and dangerous, arguing that the strikes would inflict harm on patients during a period of maximum vulnerability for the NHS. The government said the offer would have reduced competition for jobs and put more money in resident doctors’ pockets, but the BMA insisted that the proposal did not meet their demands for a substantial pay increase.

The BMA’s resident doctors committee chair Dr Jack Fletcher argued that the offer failed to restore pay to its levels before erosion since 2008 and did not present new job opportunities for trainees. He said the vote reflected a belief that the government and the BMA were not aligned on how to address pay and staffing in a way that protects patients. NHS Providers’ chief executive Daniel Elkeles called the result a bitter pill that would likely lead to harm and disrupt care during a winter when flu is spreading rapidly and hospital capacity is strained.

Resident doctors account for about half of NHS doctors. In England, a first‑year resident earns about £38,831, rising to roughly £44,439 in the second year, with salaries escalating toward around £70,000 after eight years or more. The BMA contends that first‑year pay is roughly 21 percent lower in real terms than in 2008, arguing that a substantial pay rise is needed to reverse a long‑running erosion of earnings. The government contends that using the Consumer Prices Index to measure inflation shows current pay as fair, while the BMA has cited the Retail Price Index to claim a higher cost of living facing doctors. Independent analysis by the Nuffield Trust has suggested that pay has fallen about 5 percent since 2008 when CPI is used.

The dispute sits amid a broader NHS backdrop of staffing pressures and a record flu season. Officials have reported that more than 2,600 beds were occupied by flu patients on some days last week, a new high for this time of year. Health leaders say the NHS has vaccinated tens of millions of people this season and will need to lean on frontline teams to manage through the upcoming disruption while continuing to deliver essential services. Hospitals have prepared contingency plans to minimize risk to patient safety, with assurances from NHS England that safety remains the priority during any strikes.

The strike action follows a May pay rise of 5.4 percent for resident doctors, a sum the government said reflected an independent pay review body's recommendation and intended to keep pace with inflation. The BMA argues that the gain is insufficient and has pressed for a near 29 percent uplift to restore purchasing power lost since 2008. The divide has been compounded by a separate debate over how to account for inflation measures, with the government favoring CPI and critics pointing to RPI as a fuller measure that includes housing costs.

In parallel to the doctors’ dispute, the BMA has faced scrutiny over a separate pay offer for its own clerical and administrative staff. GMB, which represents a large portion of BMA staff, has criticized the offer as inadequate and misleading in its portrayal of pay increases, arguing that one‑off payments and short‑term benefits do not amount to sustained wage growth. The wider NHS workforce remains a critical factor in maintaining patient safety, particularly during periods of high flu prevalence and winter pressures.

As the December strikes approach, NHS leaders say plans are in place to protect essential services and ensure safe staffing levels. They emphasize that patient safety remains the top priority and that hospitals will continue to adapt to the evolving situation while frontline teams work to manage through a challenging period for patients and families across the country.