'People may die': Wes Streeting's plea to doctors to call-off 'dangerous' pre-Christmas strikes as mutant super-flu sweeps hospitals

Asked on LBC this morning whether patients could die as a risk of this strike action, Mr Streeting was unable to rule it out.

He said: "I don't want to catastrophise or sensationalise, [but] I cannot sit here and look you in the eye and tell you that no patient will come to harm or fatal harm. I cannot make that guarantee.

"So I urge doctors, please vote for this offer, end these strikes and let's try and start 2026 with a fresh start."

He urged resident doctors in England to call off their pre-Christmas strike that is due to begin next Wednesday as hospitals face a surge in flu cases.

Mr Streeting warned of the "particularly aggressive" strain of flu that is currently sweeping the nation.

He said he is “genuinely fearful” for the health service if strikes go ahead next week and agreed that the collapse of the NHS is “effectively” at “one minute to midnight”.

He told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "Now, if we didn't have strikes looming over us, I would be extremely worried about that situation. This is always a hard and challenging time for the NHS, in the run up to Christmas and the first week of the New Year, we could just about cope with that.

"The idea that we will have to contend with that plus strikes, is dangerous, actually."

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Mr Streeting said he is "extremely worried" about the increased pressure on staff, and "more seriously, the risk to patients".

Nick asked with the collapse of the NHS being midnight, how close are we to midnight, to which Mr Streeting said: "One minute to midnight."

When asked whether the patients could die as a risk of this strike action, Mr Streeting was unable to rule it out.

He said: "I don't want to catastrophise or sensationalise, [but] I cannot sit here and look you in the eye and tell you that no patient will come to harm or fatal harm. I cannot make that guarantee.

"So I urge doctors, please vote for this offer, end these strikes and let's try and start 2026 with a fresh start.

"I'm happy to hit the reset button in terms of my relationship and the government's relationship with the BMA. I hope that they're willing to do the same."

The Health Secretary explained that he has gone to the BMA asking them to call off these strikes while the members vote on the offer on the table, and he will extend the strike mandate to February 2 so strikes can be rearranged.

The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming days and, if they support it, the strike could be called off.

The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.

The NHS data on Thursday shows 106 flu patients were in critical care beds in England last week, up from 69 the previous week, and a record number for this time of the year.

Hospital admission rates for flu in England overall are highest among people over 75 and children under five.

Separately, an average of 354 hospital beds were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, up 35% from 263 the previous week.

This is lower than at this point last year but NHS England said winter viruses were beginning to “engulf hospitals”.