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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls public "scaremongering" regarding the present influenza outbreak, as its members vote on if they should proceed with impending walkouts in England next week.

Union Response to Ministerial Worries

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the looming "combined impact" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming 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 "must avoid 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.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Schedule

The outcome of a BMA ballot is scheduled for Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

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

But, the deal does not include a wage hike. Sir Keir Starmer has commented that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA appealed to the health secretary to "devote his efforts 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, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Influenza Statistics

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps 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 "irresponsible" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Regarding 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 highest 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 medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were more ready 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 indicate yes, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.