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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls public "fearmongering" concerning the current flu outbreak, while its members vote on the possibility of impending walkouts in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Government Worries

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "extremely worried" about the potential "double whammy" of increasing figures 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 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."

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

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Timeline

The decision of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a week-long walkout will start on Wednesday.

The government argues its offer includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

However, the deal omits a wage hike. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has increased 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 BMA has also notified 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 Influenza Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances 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.

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, health officials note it has arrived sooner than usual 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.

It is important to note, these records start from 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of the increasing figures, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute completely.