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The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" regarding the ongoing influenza outbreak, while its members consider if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England next week.

Union Reaction to Government Worries

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "extremely worried" about the looming "one-two punch" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "diminishing" 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," a letter from the union stated.

Industrial Action Vote and Possible Timeline

The outcome of a union vote is scheduled for Monday. If the offer is turned down, a week-long walkout will start on Wednesday.

Ministers states its deal includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.

Yet, the deal excludes a pay rise. Sir Keir Starmer has commented that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a statement, 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 notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Influenza Data

In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps 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, experts note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. Around 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.

However, these records start from 2021 and so do not include 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 "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could cope with 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 enough to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a detailed vote would be held on ending the dispute entirely.