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

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This statement arrives after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "extremely worried" about the looming "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

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

Strike Vote and Potential Schedule

The outcome of a union vote is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers says its deal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to cover the costs training expenses.

However, 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 Solution

In a release, the BMA urged 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 contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response 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 accepted an offer to push the strike back to January.

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

Regarding 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 only date back to 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 cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute completely.