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The leading doctors' union has sounded a caution against what it calls public "fearmongering" about the ongoing flu outbreak, as its members consider if they should proceed with planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "combined impact" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "minimizing" the effect 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 declared.

Strike Ballot and Potential Timeline

The decision of a members' referendum is scheduled for Monday. Should members vote no, a industrial action lasting five days will begin on Wednesday.

Ministers argues its proposal includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for training expenses.

However, the deal excludes a pay rise. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Deal

In a statement, 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 BMA has also written to 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."

Political Response and Influenza Statistics

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.

Mirroring 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. Approximately 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 only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could manage 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 enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute for good.