UK FACES ‘SUPER FLU’ SURGE AS STARMER SLAMS DOCTORS’ PLANNED CHRISTMAS STRIKE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The United Kingdom is grappling with what health officials have described as an “unprecedented wave of super flu,” raising concerns about mounting pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) as resident doctors plan a five-day strike next week.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday warned that the proposed industrial action, scheduled to begin just days before Christmas, could push the NHS into its most critical state since the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing in *The Guardian*, Starmer described the planned strike as “reckless,” saying it would place patients and the health system in “grave danger.”
Latest figures released by the NHS on Thursday showed flu cases at record levels for this time of year. Hospital admissions rose by 55 per cent in one week, with an average of 2,660 patients admitted daily due to flu-related illnesses.
NHS National Medical Director, Professor Meghana Pandit, said the combination of record demand and looming strike action presents a worst-case scenario. She warned that the health service is facing unprecedented strain as winter pressures intensify.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting echoed the concerns, telling *The Times* that flu admissions could triple before reaching their peak. He described conditions in some hospitals as already “inexcusable.”
The NHS remains a central political issue in Britain, with the Labour government under sustained pressure to reduce long waiting times for treatment. Efforts to cut backlogs have been hampered by repeated industrial actions, with the planned strike set to be the 14th walkout by doctors since March 2023.
Resident doctors, who are below consultant level, are locked in a dispute with the government over pay and limited training opportunities. While Streeting has agreed to prioritise UK-trained doctors for training posts and increase the number of available placements, the government has ruled out further pay rises.
Starmer said a “good deal” had been offered and urged doctors to accept it, insisting the government could not justify additional salary increases after a 28.9 per cent rise over the past three years and the highest recent pay awards in the public sector.
However, the British Medical Association, which represents resident doctors, is seeking an additional 26 per cent pay increase, arguing it is necessary to restore earnings eroded by years of below-inflation wage deals. The union is expected to put the government’s latest proposal to its members in an online survey, which closes on Monday.
As flu cases continue to surge, health leaders have warned that any disruption to services could further strain an already overstretched NHS during one of the busiest periods of the year.
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