BMA Warns Against Flu 'Scaremongering' Before Impending Doctor Industrial Action

The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls public "scaremongering" about the ongoing influenza outbreak, while its members vote on if they should proceed with planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" about the potential "combined impact" of increasing figures 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 "diminishing" the severity 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," correspondence from the union noted.

Strike Ballot and Potential Timeline

The result of a members' referendum is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a industrial action lasting five days will start on Wednesday.

The government states its deal includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize training expenses.

Yet, the deal excludes a pay rise. The Prime Minister has written that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA called on the health secretary to "devote his efforts 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, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be asked to come back to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Political Response and Influenza Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances 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 arrived sooner than usual this winter. Approximately 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the highest for this time of year on record in 2021.

It is important to note, these records only date back to 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 cope with 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 avert Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute completely.