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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls public "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the current influenza outbreak, as its members consider whether to carry out planned strikes in England the coming week.

Union Response to Ministerial Worries

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

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "diminishing" 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," a letter from the union noted.

Strike Vote and Possible Schedule

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

Ministers argues its proposal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

But, the deal does not include a pay rise. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a announcement, 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 union has also contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "uphold safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Flu Statistics

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 taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning 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 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 medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" 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 enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute for good.