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The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" concerning the current flu outbreak, as its members decide on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Response to Ministerial 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 junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked 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," correspondence from the union declared.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Timeline

The result of a BMA ballot is scheduled for Monday. If it is rejected, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

Ministers argues its proposal includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs exam fees.

Yet, the deal does not include a wage hike. The Prime Minister has commented that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA appealed to the health secretary to "concentrate 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 contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to 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 reschedule the industrial action to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable 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 since records began in 2021.

However, these records start from 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, 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 BMA indicated 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 resolving the dispute completely.