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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" about the current flu outbreak, as its members decide on the possibility of scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Concerns

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "minimizing" the effect of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them."

"As doctors, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," correspondence from the union declared.

Strike Vote and Possible Schedule

The decision of a union vote is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.

The government states its proposal includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

Yet, the deal omits a wage hike. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Deal

In a statement, the BMA urged 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 written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Statistics

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't accepted an offer to push the strike back to January.

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

Concerning the flu outbreak, experts note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. Around 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the greatest for this time of year on record in 2021.

It is important to note, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not include 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 "under control" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.