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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" regarding the current flu outbreak, as its members consider the possibility of planned strikes in England next week.

Union Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the potential "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked 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 stated.

Strike Ballot and Potential Timeline

The result of a union vote is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will start on Wednesday.

The government says its proposal includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for exam fees.

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

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

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 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 "ensure safe patient care."

Political Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps 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.

Echoing 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."

Concerning 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 highest 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.

In spite of the increasing figures, the medical director 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 stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute completely.