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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, as its members consider the possibility of planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This follows after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" 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 severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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 Ballot and Potential Timeline

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

Ministers argues its proposal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for exam fees.

Yet, the deal does not include a pay rise. Sir Keir Starmer has written that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus 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, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "uphold safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation 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.

Repeating 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, experts note it has come early this winter. Around 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 rising numbers, 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 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 sufficient to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.