The rate of delivered care remained similar to the November strikes despite a higher average daily strike turnout (19,120 compared with 17,236 in November). In addition, the December rate was above the rate achieved during strike action in July (93%).

There were also more than 5,000 fewer patients in hospital this Christmas day compared to Christmas day last year; with 78.5% of beds occupied - within the 80% target level.

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘With hospital bed occupancy lower than this time last year and ambulance handover performance improving, I am deeply grateful to everyone in the NHS who has stepped up to make sure patients are getting the care they need during a difficult winter, as well as join our push to modernise and improve the service for the long term.

‘But, with bitterly cold weather creating new challenges for the health service this week, there is still a long way to go and the hard graft doesn't stop here.'

Streeting said he was determined to resolve the resident doctors' dispute this year.

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Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Despite the costs and the extra work involved in terms of planning for and managing industrial action, it's reassuring that the NHS has weathered the storm of these walk-outs.

‘While thousands of tests, appointments and operations were cancelled, the NHS managed to keep the majority of services running. NHS leaders and their teams should also be praised for managing to get so many patients home for Christmas despite the early surge in flu cases.'

Deighton warned the NHS was ‘not out of the woods' yet, however, with the impact of the strike action in terms of cancelled appointments and operations to be felt well into the new year.

‘The Government and BMA must resume talks as soon as possible - through mediation if needed - and find a long-term solution to bring this to an end,' he said.

Chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said it was ‘remarkable' that near-normal levels of planned activity and support were maintained and called for an ‘end to NHS strikes in 2026'.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the Resident Doctors Committee, said: ‘It is good to see Mr Streeting say he wants to get round the table: it is vital this dispute is resolved for the good of doctors and patients.

‘We need to see Government propose a proper fix to the jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession. That must mean the creation of genuinely new jobs and an end to the proposal of real terms pay cuts in three months' time.

‘Both December's and November's strikes could have been avoided if these valid solutions had been on the table in time. This year we hope Government learns from its mistakes. 2026 does not need to see thousands of doctors go on strike yet again - let's hope there is no more Government scaremongering and they come to the table willing to work collaboratively.'