Hours before tens of thousands of resident doctors in England walked out on strike.The industrial action comes as hospitals are experiencing immense pressure, with flu cases at a record level for this time of the year.
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has said the strikes come at the “worst possible time” for the NHS and pose an “intolerable risk to patient safety”.
Hopes that the five-day walk-out could be averted were dashed on Monday when members of the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected a fresh offer from the governmenpa.
BMA accuses Streeting of ‘scaremongering’ over doctor strike during flu surge
The industrial action comes as hospitals are experiencing immense pressure, with flu cases at a record level for this time of the year.
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has said the strikes come at the “worst possible time” for the NHS and pose an “intolerable risk to patient safety”.
Hopes that the five-day walk-out could be averted were dashed on Monday when members of the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected a fresh offer from the government.
A pharmacy leader has warned that Britons may need to travel out of their local areas to get their flu vaccination, as chemists struggle to cope with an increase in demand—with some running out of stock entirely.
The past few weeks has seen a huge increase in cases of ‘mutant’ super flu—strain H3N2—with health chiefs warning that the UK could face its worst flu season to date.
