Streeting’s warning about NHS collapse amid flu surge is ‘scaremongering’, BMA says as strike looms
Health Secretary accused of ‘scaremongering’ over NHS strikes
- The British Medical Association (BMA) plans five days of resident doctor strikes from 17 December, despite warnings from Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
- Mr Streeting cautioned that the strikes could jeopardise patient safety and collapse the NHS amidst a significant flu outbreak, describing the situation as "incredibly precarious".
- The BMA accused Mr Streeting of "scaremongering" and acting in a "cruel and calculated" way, rejecting a government offer to defer industrial action until the new year.
- BMA representatives argue that senior doctors can cover for absent resident doctors to maintain patient safety, and that the NHS faces a year-round crisis, not just a winter one.
- Public support for the strikes is low, with 58 per cent opposing the action, and figures show record flu cases for this time of year, increasing pressure on the health service.