STRIKING doctors are “putting lives at risk” and “need to realise what’s at stake”, the Home Secretary has warned.
Shabana Mahmood has said hospitals are already buckling under “huge strain” as a brutal outbreak sweeps the country.
She also urged resident doctors to accept the pay deal on the table.
It echoes what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said earlier this week as he blasted doctors plotting a mid-crisis strike next week as “irresponsible”.
NHS officials said there are now enough virus patients in England to fill three hospitals, after the total surged from 1,968 on November 30 to 2,781 on December 7.
Stocks of vaccines, cold remedies and handwash have begun to run low as the mutant strain spreads.
Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, the Home Sec said the impact is already being felt across the UK.
Asked how bad the situation is, she said: “It is very serious, we’re already seeing the impact it’s having on hospitals across the country.
“We always plan every single year for a flu outbreak and that’s what happened this year.
“But of course, I think the numbers are a bit more serious this year and that’s why the Health Secretary, the Prime Minister and everyone across Government wants to make sure that the planned strikes by resident doctors do not go ahead.
“The NHS is under huge strain at the moment, and the last thing anybody needs to see are strikes in the NHS.”
Ms Mahmood gave a stark warning that strikes “undoubtedly” put lives in danger at the worst possible time.
She said: “I think it’s undoubtedly the case that strikes in the NHS do put lives at risk.
“We want to make sure that the NHS is supported through a difficult winter and through this particular flu outbreak that we’re seeing at the moment, and I just think it’s really important that everybody realises what’s at stake here.”
The Home Secretary also suggested a split between doctors on the frontline and union leaders pushing for action.
She said: “I do think there’s a bit of a difference between the stance that the leadership of the resident doctors has taken and the individual views of those doctors themselves.”
Praising NHS staff, Ms Mahmood added: “These are very hard-working public servants, but they have seen the best deal of anyone in the public sector.”
The doctors five-day strike is planned for Wednesday, December 17 to 22.
PM Sir Keir Starmer said: “We have already put in place quite a significant pay rise.
“It’d be irresponsible of the BMA to push through with strike action and I think many resident doctors, in their heart of hearts, probably don’t want to do this.
“I’d say to the BMA do the responsible thing, accept the offer that’s on the table and we can all move forward.”
Professor Meghana Pandit, medical director at NHS England, said: “This unprecedented wave of superflu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year.
“The number of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year.
“Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS has an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”
The flu season began earlier than usual and the virus is spreading rapidly because of a mutated strain which means immunity is low.
Doctors warn chaos will drag on into the new year and cases are particularly high in babies and young children who are at higher risk of severe complications.
On top of flu, the UKHSA said cases of sickness bug norovirus and coughing bug RSV are also on the rise. The NHS has struggled to cope with record demand this year on top of strikes and staff shortages.
Statistics earlier this week showed waiting lists have begun to rise again, from 7.39 million to 7.4 million in October, as hospitals fail to treat people as fast as they arrive.
Hospital pressure means 51,000 A&E patients waited 12 hours or longer for a bed on a ward in November, plus 54,000 in October.
A study this week estimated people attending casualty now have a one in five chance of being treated in a corridor or waiting room — likely to worsen over winter.
Dr Vicky Price, of the Society of Acute Medicine, added: “We are witnessing the appalling reality of corridor care on an unprecedented scale.”
At least half a dozen hospitals have declared critical incidents in the past week because of “extreme pressure” on wards and A&E.
Senior bosses at hospitals across Essex warned they are facing “very high demand”.
‘SUPERFLU’ Q&A
WHY is flu so bad this year?
This year’s flu, which has been named H3N2 is a different virus strain from usual.
Our immune systems remember strains we have caught before and are better at fighting them off, meaning we get less ill.
H3N2 has not been around for a number of years, meaning our natural immunity to this version of the virus is low.
More people are getting heavy symptoms — which in turn means it spreads faster, including to high-risk groups such as babies and the elderly who can become severely ill.
What are the symptoms?
The same as regular flu. Most people will feel achy, sore and tired, and may develop a high temperature or a cough.
Other signs of flu can include a dry throat, upset stomach, headaches, difficulty sleeping or a loss of appetite.
What should I do if I get the flu?
Most people can manage at home and will start to recover after a few days with plenty of sleep, rest and drinking lots of fluids.
Take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce symptoms, but do not take antibiotics as they work only for bacterial infections and flu is viral.
Call 111 or your GP practice if you are elderly or have a serious health condition and are worried about your symptoms.
Do the same if you are worried about a baby or child’s symptoms. Call 999 or go to A&E if you begin to cough up blood, have sudden chest pain or cannot breathe.
Is the vaccine effective?
Yes. Scientists say the vaccine is a close enough match to the virus for it to reduce the risk of serious illness.
There were some concerns that the virus had mutated and rendered the jab less effective, but our natural protection against this strain is so low that the vaccine will still give the immune system a strong boost.
This is particularly important for high-risk groups, including over-65s, pregnant women, cancer patients and babies and children, who are eligible for free jabs on the NHS.
Why are hospitals struggling?
Hospitals are nearly full almost all of the time, so they have no room for a sudden surge in new patients.
This year has seen the highest demand for services such as A&E and ambulances on record, even before the flu outbreak began. Clinics are also trying to crush through a massive backlog of non-urgent patients.
Long-term problems with discharging patients mean many beds are blocked by elderly people who cannot safely be sent home.
