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

Union Reaction to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "diminishing" the effect 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 declared.

Strike Vote and Potential Timeline

The result of a BMA ballot is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

The government states its offer 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 does not include a salary increase. The Prime Minister has commented that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Deal

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

Government Reaction and Flu Statistics

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation 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."

Concerning the flu outbreak, health officials note it has come early 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.

It is important to note, 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 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 union indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.