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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" regarding the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members vote on whether to carry out planned strikes in England the coming week.

Union Response to Ministerial Concerns

This follows after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "very anxious" about the looming "combined impact" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "minimizing" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to 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," correspondence from the union noted.

Industrial Action Ballot and Possible Timeline

The outcome of a union vote is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

The government states its offer includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to cover the costs professional development costs.

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

Calls for Focus on a Deal

In a announcement, 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political 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 accepted an offer to push the strike back 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, experts 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 on record in 2021.

It is important to note, these records start from 2021 and so do not include 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 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 enough to call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute completely.