🔗 Share this article

The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "alarmist rhetoric" concerning the ongoing influenza outbreak, as its members consider the possibility of planned strikes in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This follows after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "deeply concerned" about the looming "combined impact" 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, stated that while the union was not "minimizing" 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 noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Potential Schedule

The outcome of a members' referendum is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a industrial action lasting five days will commence on Wednesday.

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

However, the deal omits 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 Deal

In a statement, the BMA appealed to 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, recognizing that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Political Reaction and Flu Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "perhaps the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked 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 "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most precarious moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, experts note it has come early this winter. Around 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.

However, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

In spite of the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "well within the boundaries" of what the NHS could handle and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. Should members indicate yes, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute entirely.