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The health secretary said plans for a Christmas walkout poses a ‘different magnitude of risk’ to previous strikes, saying he is ‘genuinely worried’ about patient safety
Millie CookePolitical CorrespondentWednesday 03 December 2025 08:58 GMTComments
CloseStreeting calls doctors' union 'moaning minnies'
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Wes Streeting has accused the British Medical Association of “juvenile delinquency” after the union announced that resident doctors in England will go on strike for five consecutive days in the run-up to Christmas.
The health secretary branded the walkout “irresponsible”, saying that striking before Christmas is a “different magnitude of risk” compared to previous strikes.
The strike will take place from 7am on December 17 until December 22, with the union accusing the government of failing to make “sufficient progress towards a viable deal on jobs and pay”.
Wes Streeting hit out at the BMA (Getty)Asked if patients are going to die because of the industrial action, Mr Streeting told Sky News: “I don’t want to be catastrophic about it, but it is a different order of risk and I am genuinely worried.”
He said he has “certainly” had it with the BMA, adding: “Whether it’s the rhetoric and the behaviour around general practice, whether it’s yet another round of unnecessary strike action… we’ve seen an outbreak in the BMA of juvenile delinquency, and it is irresponsible because we know that the NHS is under real pressure.”
The health secretary also took aim at the union over the row surrounding online access to GP surgeries.
From 1 October , the government forced all GP practices in England to offer online booking systems during the core hours of 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
But the BMA is in formal dispute with the government over the changes, which it says put patients at risk.
Mr Streeting said the BMA is “sat in the corner like moaning minnies when their members are doing a really good job working with the government to improve patient care and experience”.
He said: “You would think from the BMA that I've had to drag GPs kicking and screaming to provide something that most services now provide, which is online access in the 21st century.
“In fact, it's been the opposite. GPs have responded. They're up for it. 98.7 per cent of practices are now delivering online access. This should be a really great news story.”
Experts expect the Christmas strike action to put “intense” pressure on services amid surging flu cases and staff sickness, but medics say they have been left with “no choice”.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: “With the government failing to put forward a credible plan to fix the jobs crisis for resident doctors at the same time as pushing a real terms pay cut for them, we have no choice but to announce more strike dates.
“However, these do not need to go ahead. Gradually raising pay over a few years and some common-sense fixes to the job security of our doctors are well within the reach of this government.”
Previous resident doctor strikes took place from July 25 to 30 and November 14 to 19.
Last month’s industrial action was the 13th strike since March 2023, while the summer walkout was estimated to have cost the health service £300 million.
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