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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" about the current influenza outbreak, as its members vote on the possibility of planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "extremely worried" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said 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."

"In our role as physicians, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," correspondence from the union noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Schedule

The decision of a members' referendum is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

The government argues its proposal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs training expenses.

However, the deal omits a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Deal

In a release, the BMA called on 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 written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "uphold safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't accepted an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Repeating 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."

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 capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could handle 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute completely.