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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" concerning the present flu outbreak, while its members vote on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" the severity 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 stated.

Strike Ballot and Potential Schedule

The decision of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will start on Wednesday.

Ministers states its proposal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

However, the deal excludes a wage hike. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a release, 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 BMA has also notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Influenza Data

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 push the strike back to January.

Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, experts note it has come early 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 start from 2021 and so do not include 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 handle 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 sufficient to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute for good.