{"id":44844,"date":"2025-12-13T02:44:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T02:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=44844"},"modified":"2025-12-13T02:44:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T02:44:28","slug":"cvg114jd3gdoat_mediumrssat_campaignrss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2025\/12\/13\/cvg114jd3gdoat_mediumrssat_campaignrss\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor strike during flu outbreak would be &#8216;beyond belief&#8217;, says Starmer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 eRlINq\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-5340b511-1 cMIbKV\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Russian-assets-deal-plan-and-Joe-the-GOAT.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Doctor-strike-during-flu-outbreak-would-be-beyond-belief-says.webp.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/bff7\/live\/2d105240-d7a7-11f0-a8dc-93c15fe68710.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Doctor-strike-during-flu-outbreak-would-be-beyond-belief-says.webp.webp?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"EPA Headshot of Sir Keir Starmer in a suit sitting in front of two bright lamps and a UK flag.\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/><span class=\"sc-5340b511-2 jVqbAn\">EPA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Sir Keir Starmer has urged resident doctors not to go ahead with &#8220;reckless&#8221; strikes planned for next week, saying it is &#8220;beyond belief&#8221; they could take place during a flu outbreak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The prime minister said the NHS is in its &#8220;most precarious moment&#8221; since the coronavirus pandemic due to soaring flu cases across the UK, and that strikes would put the healthcare system and its patients in &#8220;grave danger&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The doctors&#8217; union, the British Medical Association (BMA), is polling its members to see if they are willing to call off the walkout, with the results to be released on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">But if they vote against it, a five-day strike by resident doctors<b id=\"\" class=\"sc-d16436d-0 gnUCoQ\"> <\/b>will begin two days later on Wednesday 17 December. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">A BMA spokesperson said the government could stop the strike by tackling pay, conditions and trust with a credible offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Flu has come early this winter, and it looks to be a particularly nasty season because of a new mutated version of the virus which is circulating, say experts. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Many are now calling it &#8220;super flu&#8221;, but it is not more severe nor harder to treat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week \u2013 the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% on the week before, NHS England said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Flu cases are also rising in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, figures show. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Children and young people are particularly affected by the outbreak, health officials said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Writing in the Guardian, Sir Keir said the strikes &#8220;should not happen&#8221; and said resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, should accept a deal to avert industrial action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Sir Keir said as well as the government&#8217;s new offer, they had also given the BMA the chance to reschedule the strikes until after Christmas. <\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;Don&#8217;t get me wrong \u2013 of course I would rather they were cancelled&#8230; But under the circumstances, I wanted to be sure we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to protect the NHS,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The BMA said it will ask its members whether the government&#8217;s offer will be enough to call off Wednesday&#8217;s strikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">If members indicate yes, then they will be given time to consider the offer in more detail and a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute completely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The offer aims to address problems for some doctors trying to find work and to provide more training places for newly qualified medics to progress in their careers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Health Secretary Wes Streeting made a similar intervention to Sir Keir&#8217;s on Friday, warning strikes coupled with increasing flu patients would be a &#8220;double whammy&#8221; for the NHS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">However, the medical director for the NHS in London, Chris Streather, said the flu situation was &#8220;well within the boundaries&#8221; of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Doctor #strike #flu #outbreak #belief #Starmer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EPA Sir Keir Starmer has urged resident doctors not to go ahead with &#8220;reckless&#8221; strikes planned for next week, saying&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44844"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44846,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44844\/revisions\/44846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}