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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls public "scaremongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, while its members consider the possibility of impending walkouts in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the looming "double whammy" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "downplaying" the impact 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.

Strike Vote and Potential Schedule

The outcome of a BMA ballot is scheduled for Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers states its offer includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs training expenses.

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

Calls for Attention on a Solution

In a statement, the BMA urged the health secretary to "focus his time and attention 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, saying that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Mirroring the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, experts 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 on record 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 increasing figures, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could handle and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute completely.