Resident doctors in England begin five-day strike during flu surge

Resident doctors in England have begun a five-day strike after negotiations over pay and working conditions allegedly worsened. The British Medical Association (BMA) was organizing the strike, which started at 07:00 GMT on Wednesday. This marked the fourteenth time the union has walked out during this ongoing standoff.

The National Health Service warned that patients must be ready for delays and disruptions to care at a time when hospitals were crowded amidst a surge in flu cases. According to Sky News, the strike would last until 07:00 GMT on Monday, December 22.

Reuters described this as an "increasingly bitter dispute" between the doctors and the government, and it seemed that no resolution was "in sight".

== Sources ==

Doctors in England begin five-day walkout during flu surge — Reuters, December 17, 2025

Nick Triggle, Jim Reed, Philippa Roxby. Starmer calls doctors' strike 'dangerous' as five-day walkout begins — BBC News, December 17, 2025

Warnings of NHS 'disruption and delays' as resident doctors in England begin strike — Sky News, December 17, 2025