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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls public "scaremongering" concerning the current influenza outbreak, as its members vote on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the looming "double whammy" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching resident doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "minimizing" the severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "must avoid scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them."

"As doctors, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," correspondence from the union stated.

Industrial Action Vote and Possible Timeline

The outcome of a union vote is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a week-long walkout will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers argues its offer includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to cover the costs exam fees.

But, the deal excludes a wage hike. The Prime Minister has commented that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Deal

In a announcement, the BMA called on the health secretary to "concentrate 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, saying that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Response and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He questioned 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 "ought not to go ahead" 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. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the highest 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.

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 union 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 ending the dispute completely.