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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls public "fearmongering" regarding the present influenza outbreak, as its members decide on whether to carry out planned strikes in England the coming week.

Union Reaction to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "combined impact" of rising numbers 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 "minimizing" 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."

"As doctors, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," a letter from the union stated.

Industrial Action Ballot and Possible Schedule

The outcome of a members' referendum is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.

The government argues its deal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

However, the deal excludes a wage hike. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Deal

In a statement, 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 contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Influenza Data

Speaking to 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 accepted an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

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

Concerning 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 greatest for this time of year since records began in 2021.

It is important to note, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute for good.