LONDON, UK – December 5, 2025 – The National Health Service (NHS) is facing a winter crisis described by senior medical leaders as a “double whammy,” with an unprecedented surge in flu hospitalisations coinciding with a planned five-day strike by resident doctors just before Christmas.
New data from the NHS’s first weekly winter situation report confirms the service’s deepest fears: an average of 1,717 flu patients were in hospital beds each day last week, representing a 56% increase compared to the same time last year. Experts warn that flu cases are “incredibly high for this time of year” with “no peak in sight yet,” suggesting the worst is yet to come.
Soaring Flu Cases and A&E Pressure
Professor Julian Redhead, National Medical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, stated that the health service is “bracing for an unprecedented flu wave this winter,” noting that flu hospitalisations are already 10 times higher than two years ago.
The spike in admissions is placing immense strain on Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments and urgent care services, which are already struggling with high demand. NHS England data shows that even with preparation, 30% of patients arriving by ambulance last week still waited at least 30 minutes for hospital handover. The combination of a high-severity flu season and persistent challenges in discharging medically fit patients has pushed the system to its limit.
Strikes Coincide with Crisis Peak
This dire clinical scenario is set to be compounded by the announced five-day strike by the British Medical Association’s (BMA) resident doctors, scheduled from December 17th to December 22nd.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly condemned the BMA’s decision, calling it “dangerously reckless” and a “cynical attempt to wreck Christmas” for patients and their families. He accused the union leadership of “juvenile delinquency” for striking at a time when the NHS is facing its greatest winter pressures.
The BMA, however, maintains that the strike is necessary due to the government’s failure to offer a credible solution to pay erosion and the worsening jobs crisis facing doctors.
The ongoing public dispute is having a measurable impact on sentiment. Recent YouGov polling indicates that the public is now opposed to the strikes by a 53% to 38% margin, marking the highest level of opposition recorded to date. This shift puts further pressure on the BMA to return to negotiations, but so far, the union remains resolute.
The NHS has prepared contingency plans, with senior consultants covering emergency care. However, health leaders warn that the timing of the strike—at the height of the flu season—will inevitably lead to the cancellation of thousands of planned appointments, extending waiting lists and causing significant patient distress as the service heads into the new year.
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