The British Medical Association Warns Against Influenza 'Alarmism' Ahead of Planned Doctor Industrial Action

The British Medical Association (BMA) has sounded a caution against what it calls public "fearmongering" about the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members decide on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England next week.

BMA Response to Government Concerns

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

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" 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 Timeline

The decision of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. Should members vote no, a week-long walkout will start on Wednesday.

The government states its deal includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for training expenses.

However, the deal does not include a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has written that pay for resident doctors has increased by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Solution

In a statement, 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 contacted chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Reaction and Flu Statistics

In an interview with 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 taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" 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 arrived sooner than usual this winter. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the greatest for this time of year on record in 2021.

However, these records start from 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the increasing figures, 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 more ready for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union said it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to avert Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.