Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called on resident doctors in England to accept a government offer aimed at averting a planned strike next week, warning that industrial action amid a severe winter flu surge would place the National Health Service (NHS) under grave strain.

Starmer described potential strikes over pay and conditions as “beyond belief” given the pressures facing the health service, which officials say is dealing with record levels of flu cases — quickly rising hospitalisations and stretched resources reminiscent of the pandemic era.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is currently putting a new government deal to its members in a vote this weekend. Under the proposal, doctors could postpone any strike action until after Christmas and receive improvements in training posts and career progression, though core pay demands remain unresolved.

Starmer stressed that the NHS is facing its most precarious moment since COVID-19, with many hospitals already cancelling operations and staff cancelling leave to cope with the surge in flu cases. He said strikes planned from 17–22 December could worsen patient care at a critical time of the year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting backed Starmer’s appeal, arguing that walkouts during a “super flu” epidemic would add to the burden on emergency departments and frontline staff already grappling with rising admissions and limited capacity.

The BMA, while acknowledging the pressures on the service, has criticised government messaging as “scaremongering,” and some union members remain sceptical that the current offer sufficiently addresses long-standing issues over pay and staffing.

Public opinion appears to lean against strike action at this time, with polls indicating majority opposition to walkouts just days before Christmas. The union vote will conclude shortly, determining whether industrial action goes ahead or is postponed in hopes of a calmer period once the flu peak recedes.