The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the present influenza outbreak, as its members decide on whether to carry out scheduled industrial action in England next week.
Union Response to Government Concerns
This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the looming "one-two punch" of rising numbers of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming resident doctor strikes.
The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "downplaying" the impact of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to 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," a letter from the union stated.
Strike Ballot and Potential Timeline
The outcome of a members' referendum is scheduled for Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will begin on Wednesday.
The government states its proposal includes laws that prioritises British medical graduates for specialty training jobs starting next year and offers to subsidize exam fees.
Yet, the deal omits a salary increase. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has risen by 28.9% over the past three years.
Appeals for Attention on a Solution
In a release, the BMA called on 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, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "maintain safe patient care."
Government Response and Flu Data
In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.
Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging moment since the pandemic."
Regarding 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 greatest for this time of year since records began in 2021.
However, these records only date back to 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 "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.
The union said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be sufficient to call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute completely.
