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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls public "scaremongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, while its members vote on the possibility of scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

Union Reaction to Government Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts 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 impact 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 stated.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Schedule

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

The government states its offer includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs professional development costs.

However, the deal omits a salary increase. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Deal

In a statement, 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 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."

Political Response and Flu Data

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked 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 vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, experts note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. Around 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 only date back to 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

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

The union said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members agree, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute entirely.