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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" regarding the present influenza outbreak, as its members vote on whether to carry out impending walkouts in England the coming 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 approaching junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "minimizing" the effect of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not 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," correspondence from the union noted.

Strike Ballot and Potential Schedule

The result of a members' referendum is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

The government states its offer includes laws that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs exam fees.

Yet, the deal omits a wage hike. Sir Keir Starmer has written that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA appealed to 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 union has also written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation 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.

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

However, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the increasing figures, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could handle and that hospitals were more ready 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 vote in favor, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.