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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" about the ongoing flu outbreak, while its members consider whether to carry out impending walkouts in England the coming week.

Union Response to Government Worries

This follows 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 approaching resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, said 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."

"As doctors, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," a letter from the union noted.

Industrial Action Ballot and Possible Timeline

The decision of a members' referendum is due on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will commence on Wednesday.

The government states its deal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for exam fees.

Yet, the deal does not include a wage hike. The Prime Minister has commented that pay for resident doctors has increased 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 "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 written to 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."

Political Reaction and Influenza Data

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

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" 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.

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 rising numbers, 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute entirely.