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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members consider the possibility of impending walkouts in England next week.

BMA Response to Government Worries

This follows after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the looming "combined impact" 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, said that while the union was not "minimizing" 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 noted.

Strike Vote and Potential Timeline

The outcome of a BMA ballot is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a industrial action lasting five days will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers argues its deal includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for exam fees.

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

Appeals for Attention on a Deal

In a release, the BMA urged the health secretary to "focus his time and attention 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, recognizing that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to 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 taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Echoing 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."

Regarding the flu outbreak, experts note it has come early this winter. An average of 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 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 manage 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute for good.