Starmer says resident doctors would be irresponsible to strike in face of flu crisis
Keir Starmer has said resident doctors would be irresponsible to push ahead with strikes next week after NHS England said a surge of “super flu” cases had left the service facing its worst-case scenario this winter.Ministers presented the British Medical Association with a fresh offer on training places on Wednesday night in a last-ditch attempt to avert strikes.The BMA is consulting its members on the proposals, raising hopes of a breakthrough, despite its leaders saying they do nothing to address their concerns on pay.The prime minister urged resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – to “do the responsible thing, accept the offer that’s on the table, and we can all move forward”.“They are being irresponsible in my view.
We have already put in place quite a significant pay rise,” he told reporters.“There are other issues that they’re concerned about, which we’ve been listening to, and we put an offer on the table to deal with those issues, but that offer can only go forward if they don’t take strike action, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, particularly when we’ve got a problem with flu.“I think for many resident doctors, I think in their heart of hearts, they probably don’t want to do this.”Wes Streeting, the health secretary, pledged to double the number of extra places that early career doctors in England can apply for in order to train in their chosen area of specialism.BMA leaders said although the offer was a “mixed bag” they would survey their membership on whether to call off planned five-day strike action due to start next Wednesday.
NHS England warned it was facing a “worst-case scenario” in December with a surge of “super flu” as it released its latest hospital figures on Thursday morning,The service said an average of 2,660 patients a day were in hospital with flu last week, the highest ever for this time of year, and up 55% on the previous week,The president of the Society for Acute Medicine, Vicky Price, said a “flu-nami” was hitting the NHS but that it was “a sadly familiar picture of a system under relentless strain”,“This week we have seen clinicians reviewing patients in waiting rooms due to lack of space, and cupboards used as temporary clinical areas – a new low for patient care standards,” she said,The chief executive of the hospitals group NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said the response from the BMA “does give us some hope” and that there was “a realistic potential that next week’s strikes could be called off”.
“The government have really listened … and I think what they’ve put on the table is a huge move,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“This has been a dispute that has gone on for a very long time.Someone had to do something pretty significant to find a resolution and I really hope this is it.”However, union leaders said the offer did not include more pay for this year or address resident doctors’ demand for a 26% salary rise over the next few years, on top of the 28.9% increase they have had since 2023.
Dr Jack Fletcher, the chair of the BMA, said the proposals were a “mixed bag” and lacking in detail but that the union was willing to explore them “as a potential solution”,“We’re putting this offer neutrally and factually to members,” he told the Today programme,“There are some parts of this offer that contain things like important legislation, some way of fixing this jobs crisis, but let’s be clear, there are no more doctors at the end of this … We are still seeing a net zero in terms of an increase or decrease of doctors,“There is nothing in this offer which goes in any way towards the significant pay erosion that we’ve had over the last 15-plus years,We’ve got a health secretary who’s pushing real-terms pay cuts on doctors in April next year.
”Fletcher said the union was nonetheless putting the offer to its members because it “reaches a threshold” for doing so and “there is important legislation in there”.He said the union would carry out an externally verified survey of doctors and that if a simple majority said the offer should be explored further and strikes called off, next week’s action would be cancelled.At that point, the offer would be put formally to BMA members.Dr Shivam Sharma, a deputy co-chair of the BMA, said the union was in “a dispute on both pay and jobs” and that “this offer does absolutely nothing on pay”.“I do find it difficult to see members accepting this offer,” he told Times Radio.
Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Lionesses square off on six-strong shortlist
Three world champions, two European champions and the holder of a grand slam will face off next Thursday for the title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year, in a shortlist that provides a high-powered boost to the venerable prize show.Following a triumphant summer for England’s women in both football and rugby, Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton of the Lionesses are nominated, as is the Red Roses’ Ellie Kildunne. They are joined in the six-person shortlist by Formula One champion Lando Norris, darts world champion Luke Littler and Masters champion Rory McIlroy, the bookies’ favourite.Kelly and Hampton were at the centre of England’s penalty shootout win over Spain in the Euro 2025 final, with Kelly scoring the winning spot-kick after Hampton had made two critical saves. For their club sides, Kelly was part of Arsenal’s Champions League winning team, while Hampton won a domestic treble with Chelsea
‘It can be brutal’: Gian van Veen learns to fly with the stars after dartitis
Dutch rising star has gone from not knowing ‘how to grip the dart’ to a dark horse for the PDC world championshipIt’s the deciding leg of the European Championship final. Gian van Veen, the 23-year-old from the Netherlands chasing his first major title, has just missed two match darts to win 11-9. Luke Humphries, world No 1 at the time, starts the final leg with a 140.“Oh, you’ve blown it here,” Van Veen replies when asked to describe his internal monologue during that moment in October. “Luke Humphries is not going to crumble under this pressure
‘Dadgummit, let’s freaking go’: 44-year-old grandfather Rivers could start for Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have not ruled out starting Philip Rivers at quarterback after luring the grandfather out of retirement amid an injury crisis.The Colts lost starter Daniel Jones for the season after he tore his achilles on Sunday, while their first-round pick in 2023, Anthony Richardson, is out with a broken orbital bone he suffered in October. With backup Riley Leonard dealing with a knee injury, the Colts turned to the 44-year-old Rivers, who retired at the end of the 2020 season. Rivers, who has been a high school coach since his retirement and recently welcomed his first grandchild, played for the Colts in his final season after a long stint with the Chargers.Colts head coach Shane Steichen is close friends with Rivers and approached him about returning to the NFL
NHL warns top players will not show up for Winter Olympics if venue is unsafe
The NHL says it is “disappointing” that the main ice hockey venue for the Winter Olympics will not be ready until the new year – and warned that its top players will not show up unless the ice is shown to be safe.The men’s and women’s tournaments are expected to be among the highlights of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games with the NHL stars showing up for the first time since 2014.However, the buildup continues to be marred by construction delays and questions over why the rink at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan is smaller and wider than in the NHL, as well as concerns over the quality of the ice. And while the International Olympic Committee insisted on Tuesday that everything would be ready on time, the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, made it clear he was not entirely happy.“The fact that the building at this point still isn’t completed is – and I won’t use any other adjectives – disappointing,” Bettman said
Mets all-time home run leader Pete Alonso reportedly agrees $155m deal with Orioles
For the second day in a row, the New York Mets have seen a beloved star agree to terms with another team.Pete Alonso, the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs, has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $155m contract with the Baltimore Orioles. The news comes a day after the Mets’ long-term closer, Edwin Díaz, reached a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.The 31-year-old slugger had been unable to find a long-term deal last season and returned to the Mets on a shorter contract, which he opted out of after this year’s World Series. While the Mets were interested in re-signing him they reportedly never made an offer once other teams were willing to offer longer, more valuable deals to the the first baseman
Etzebeth accepts 12-week ban but claims eye-gouge ‘was never intentional’
Eben Etzebeth, the Springboks lock serving a 12-week ban for eye-gouging Alex Mann of Wales, has claimed it was “never intentional”, contradicting the verdict of an independent disciplinary committee announced last week.In an Instagram post on Wednesday the Sharks second row accepted guilt and apologised, saying “unfortunately mistakes happen”. The 34-year-old double Rugby World Cup winner also appeared to distance himself from the act by drawing attention to “other factors”. Along with three videos accompanying the post, Etzebeth claimed two Welsh players involved in the fracas, along with Mann, changed “the dynamic of the entire picture”.Etzebeth will be sidelined until April after an 18-week ban, for what was deemed a mid-range offence, was reduced to 12 weeks due to mitigating factors including his previous good disciplinary record
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