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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" concerning the current influenza outbreak, while its members vote on whether to carry out scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Response to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "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, said that while the union was not "diminishing" the effect of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to be 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 declared.

Strike Vote and Potential Timeline

The result of a BMA ballot is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a five-day strike will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers states its offer includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

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

Appeals for Attention on a Deal

In a release, 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 union has also contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Political Response and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation 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 challenging 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 greatest 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 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 "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could handle and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA indicated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members agree, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute entirely.