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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" regarding the present influenza outbreak, while its members vote on if they should proceed with impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Response to Government Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the potential "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "minimizing" the effect 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," a letter from the union noted.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Timeline

The result of a members' referendum is expected on Monday. If it is rejected, a week-long walkout will commence on Wednesday.

The government argues its deal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize training expenses.

But, the deal excludes a salary increase. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a announcement, 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, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to 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 taken up an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging 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 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 "under control" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were more ready for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute completely.