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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" concerning the present flu outbreak, as its members decide on the possibility of scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the potential "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" the severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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," a letter from the union declared.

Strike Vote and Potential Timeline

The decision of a BMA ballot is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

Ministers states its proposal includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.

Yet, the deal does not include a wage hike. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Deal

In a release, the BMA called on the health secretary to "concentrate 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 BMA has also written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "uphold safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Influenza Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He questioned why the BMA hadn't accepted an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Echoing 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, health officials note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. Approximately 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.

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

In spite of the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could cope with 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 avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute for good.