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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, while its members consider if they should proceed with planned strikes in England next week.

Union Response to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the potential "combined impact" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "minimizing" 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," correspondence from the union stated.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Timeline

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

The government says its proposal includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.

But, the deal omits a wage hike. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has increased 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 contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Political Response and Flu Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances 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.

Mirroring the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" 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. 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 start from 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 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 sufficient to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute for good.