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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" concerning the current influenza outbreak, while its members consider the possibility of planned strikes in England next week.

Union Response to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the looming "combined impact" of rising numbers 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 "minimizing" the impact 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," a letter from the union stated.

Strike Vote and Possible Schedule

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

The government says its deal includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

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

Appeals for Attention on a Deal

In a release, the BMA appealed to 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Data

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He questioned why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Mirroring the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, health officials 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 capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the increasing figures, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could handle and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union stated 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 completely.