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The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" about the present influenza outbreak, while its members vote on whether to carry out scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Reaction to Government Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "double whammy" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated 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."

"As doctors, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," a letter from the union stated.

Strike Vote and Potential Timeline

The result of a union vote is scheduled for Monday. Should members vote no, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

The government argues its proposal includes laws that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to cover the costs professional development costs.

Yet, the deal does not include a wage hike. Sir Keir Starmer has commented that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Deal

In a statement, the BMA urged 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, indicating that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Data

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 push the strike back to January.

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

Concerning the flu outbreak, health officials 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 start from 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could handle 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 enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on ending the dispute entirely.