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The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls public "alarmist rhetoric" regarding the present influenza outbreak, while its members decide on whether to carry out scheduled industrial action in England next week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the potential "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "downplaying" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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.

Industrial Action Vote and Possible Schedule

The outcome of a union vote is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.

The government states its deal includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize training expenses.

But, the deal excludes a wage hike. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA appealed to 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps 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.

Mirroring the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" 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.

However, 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 increasing figures, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.