Starmer urges doctors to accept deal to avert Christmas strikes amid 'super flu' outbreak

Sir Keir Starmer has called connected nonmigratory doctors to judge a woody to forestall "reckless" strikes adjacent week, describing it arsenic "beyond belief" that they would spell up amid a "super flu" outbreak.

He warned the NHS is astatine its "most precarious moment" since the coronavirus pandemic, with flu cases astatine grounds levels for this clip of year.

In an op-ed for The Guardian, the premier curate said the strikes "should not happen".

"They are reckless. They spot the NHS and patients who request it successful sedate danger.

"I stay hopeful they tin beryllium averted.

"A bully woody is connected the table, and the British Medical Association (BMA) is putting it to members this weekend.

"My connection to the doctors is elemental - instrumentality it," helium wrote.

Union members are presently voting connected a caller authorities connection that could forestall the planned walkout. If medics cull the deal, strikes are acceptable to tally for 5 consecutive days starting astatine 7am connected 17 December.

Sir Keir said the latest connection would let the BMA to postpone strikes until aft Christmas.

He said: "The 'super flu' epidemic present sweeping the state means this is the NHS's astir precarious infinitesimal since the pandemic."

This means a "battle" successful hospitals crossed the state wherever NHS unit volition enactment astir the clock, helium added.

Sir Keir said: "In fact, nonmigratory doctors' colleagues volition beryllium cancelling operations, cancelling their Christmas permission and preparing for this coming storm.

"The thought that strikes could inactive instrumentality spot successful this discourse is frankly beyond belief."

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A caller YouGov canvass shows debased nationalist enactment for the strikes, with 58% somewhat oregon powerfully opposing the action, compared with 33% who somewhat oregon powerfully backmost it.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Patients are pleading with nonmigratory doctors not to wantonness them this Christmas.

"With flu sweeping crossed the federation and the wellness work nether tremendous pressure, these cynical Christmas strikes are the precise past happening the NHS needs."

The BMA's online ballot connected the government's woody volition extremity connected Monday, 2 days up of the planned five-day strike.

Flu outbreaks affecting schoolhouse attendance

Flu outbreaks are affecting pupil attendance and schoolhouse staffing, pursuing aggregate schoolhouse disruptions, officials person said.

A Cornwall schoolhouse closed this week owed to "unprecedented and expanding incidences" of flu and strep, aft respective different caller closures.

Paul Whiteman, wide caput of schoolhouse leaders' national NAHT, said: "We person seen flu outbreaks successful schools having an interaction connected some pupil attendance and staffing levels."

Schools volition bash what they tin to trim the hazard of corruption spreading, and closing is simply a past resort, helium said.

Radwinter Church of England Primary School successful Essex volition beryllium closed connected Monday owed to a norovirus outbreak, according to the region assembly website.

Last week, St Martin's School successful Caerphilly closed aft implicit 250 pupils and unit fell ill.

In November, Congleton High School successful Cheshire temporarily unopen for a heavy cleanable pursuing respective unwellness cases.

NHS information released Thursday amusement that flu hospitalisations successful England stay astatine a grounds precocious for this clip of year, rising 55% successful conscionable 1 week.