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The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, as its members vote on whether to carry out impending walkouts in England the coming week.

Union Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "very anxious" about the looming "combined impact" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, 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 stated.

Strike Ballot and Possible Timeline

The decision of a members' referendum is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.

The government says its offer includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for training expenses.

However, the deal does not include a salary increase. The Prime Minister has stated that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Solution

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 written to 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."

Political 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 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 "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. An average of 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.

However, these records start from 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" 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 avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute for good.