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The leading doctors' union has sounded a caution against what it calls widespread "scaremongering" concerning the ongoing influenza outbreak, while its members decide on the possibility of impending walkouts in England next week.

Union Reaction to Ministerial Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the looming "double whammy" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "should not be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them."

"In our role as physicians, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," correspondence from the union declared.

Industrial Action Vote and Possible Schedule

The outcome of a union vote is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will begin on Wednesday.

The government states its deal includes measures that gives preference to British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.

However, the deal excludes a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Attention on a Solution

In a release, the BMA appealed to 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 written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "uphold safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Statistics

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 taken up an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Repeating 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, 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 highest for this time of year since records began in 2021.

It is important to note, 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 senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "under control" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared 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. If members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on ending the dispute for good.