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The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls public "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members consider if they should proceed with impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the looming "one-two punch" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "diminishing" the severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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 declared.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Timeline

The outcome of a union vote is due on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a week-long walkout will commence on Wednesday.

The government says its proposal includes laws that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs training expenses.

Yet, the deal omits 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 statement, 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 written to 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 "ensure safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Data

In an interview with 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.

Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning 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 since records began in 2021.

It is important to note, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

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

The BMA indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members agree, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute for good.