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The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" about the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members decide on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the looming "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the forthcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "diminishing" 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 noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Timeline

The result of a members' referendum is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers states its proposal includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

However, the deal omits a wage hike. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Solution

In a release, the BMA called on 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably 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.

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."

Regarding the flu outbreak, health officials note it has come early this winter. Approximately 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the greatest for this time of year on record 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.

Despite the rising numbers, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.