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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls public "scaremongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, as its members decide on the possibility of scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Response to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "downplaying" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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 declared.

Industrial Action Ballot and Possible Timeline

The result of a union vote is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a five-day strike will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers states its offer includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to cover the costs professional development costs.

But, the deal does not include a salary increase. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Solution

In a statement, the BMA called on 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Statistics

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

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 highest 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 senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were more ready for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.