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

BMA Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, 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.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "diminishing" the severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to 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 noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Schedule

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

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

Yet, the deal excludes a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Deal

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 asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Influenza Data

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 reschedule the industrial action to January.

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

Regarding the flu outbreak, health officials note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. An average of 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 start from 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of 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 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 sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute completely.