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The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls public "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the ongoing flu outbreak, as its members vote on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

Union Response to Ministerial Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the potential "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "minimizing" the severity 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," a letter from the union declared.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Timeline

The outcome of a members' referendum is scheduled for Monday. Should members vote no, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

Ministers says its offer includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize training expenses.

Yet, the deal omits a pay rise. The Prime Minister has commented 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 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 BMA has also contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Reaction 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.

Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Regarding the flu outbreak, experts 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 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.

In spite of the rising numbers, the medical director 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 BMA stated 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.