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The leading doctors' union has sounded a caution against what it calls public "alarmist rhetoric" about the present flu outbreak, while its members consider the possibility of impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the looming "one-two punch" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "minimizing" 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 Ballot and Possible Schedule

The decision of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

The government argues its offer includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.

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

Calls for Focus on a Deal

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

Government Reaction and Influenza Statistics

Speaking to 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 "irresponsible" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, health officials note it has come early 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 include 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 "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute completely.