Medical leaders have called on the British Medical Association (BMA) to scrap a recommendation that doctors do not have to give employers advance notice of planned strikes. The appeal comes ahead of a five-day strike by local doctors in England from 17 to 22 December 2025. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has also called on the BMA and the Government to end the ongoing industrial dispute which is negatively affecting the NHS. The strikes come as NHS hospitals face one of the worst flu outbreaks in decades, raising concerns about patient safety. Since March 2023, this is already the 14th strike of resident doctors regarding salary and working conditions. Outages in health care during strikes can threaten the availability and quality of services during a critical period of increased pressure on the system.