🔗 Share this article

The leading doctors' union has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" about the present influenza outbreak, as its members consider if they should proceed with planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Government Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "extremely worried" about the potential "combined impact" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming junior doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "diminishing" 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," a letter from the union stated.

Strike Ballot and Possible Schedule

The outcome of a members' referendum is expected on Monday. If the offer is turned down, a five-day strike will start on Wednesday.

Ministers states its offer includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to subsidize professional development costs.

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

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a statement, 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 written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be required to return to work to "maintain safe patient care."

Government Response and Flu Statistics

Speaking to 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 accepted an offer to reschedule the industrial action to January.

Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, health officials 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 greatest 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.

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 manage and that hospitals were more ready 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 cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members agree, a formal follow-up referendum would be held on resolving the dispute completely.