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The leading doctors' union has sounded a caution against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" concerning the present flu outbreak, as its members decide on whether to carry out impending walkouts in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "one-two punch" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "downplaying" the severity 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 noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Timeline

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

The government states its proposal includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

But, the deal excludes a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has commented that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Deal

In a release, the BMA urged the health secretary to "focus his time and attention 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, indicating that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He questioned why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Echoing 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. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the greatest for this time of year since records began in 2021.

However, these records start from 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of the increasing figures, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could handle 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 sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute completely.