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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" about the present influenza outbreak, as its members consider whether to carry out planned strikes in England the coming week.

Union Response to Government Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, expressed "very anxious" about the looming "one-two punch" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, stated that while the union was not "diminishing" the effect of flu, Mr. Streeting "must avoid 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 stated.

Strike Vote and Potential Schedule

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

Ministers says its proposal includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize training expenses.

But, the deal does not include a wage hike. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Deal

In a release, the BMA urged 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 union has also contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Political Response and Influenza Data

In an interview with 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 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 precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, experts note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. Approximately 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 start from 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of the increasing figures, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were more ready for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The BMA said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute completely.