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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" about the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members consider the possibility of impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Response to Ministerial Concerns

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "one-two punch" of rising numbers 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 "diminishing" the effect 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," correspondence from the union declared.

Strike Ballot and Possible Timeline

The decision of a BMA ballot is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers argues its offer includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.

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

Appeals for Focus on a Solution

In a release, 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 union has also written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Response and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He questioned why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, experts 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 greatest 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.

In spite of the increasing figures, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were more ready for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute entirely.