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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls public "scaremongering" regarding the present influenza outbreak, as its members vote on the possibility of impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "one-two punch" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "diminishing" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them."

"In our role as physicians, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," correspondence from the union noted.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Schedule

The outcome of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a industrial action lasting five days will begin on Wednesday.

The government states its offer includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs training expenses.

Yet, the deal omits a pay rise. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a release, the BMA appealed to the health secretary to "focus his time and attention on offering a deal that will stop next week's strikes going ahead, rather than making claims that strike action could cause the NHS to collapse."

The union has also notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Data

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Mirroring the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, health officials note it has come early this winter. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the highest for this time of year on record in 2021.

However, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute for good.