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The leading doctors' union has sounded a caution against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" concerning the current flu outbreak, while its members decide on whether to carry out impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Reaction to Government Worries

This follows after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" 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."

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

Strike Vote and Possible Timeline

The result of a union vote is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers says its proposal includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

But, the deal omits a wage hike. Sir Keir Starmer has written that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus 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 union has also written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Influenza Statistics

Speaking to 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 reschedule the industrial action to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging 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 highest 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 "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute for good.