🔗 Share this article

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

Union Reaction to Ministerial Worries

This statement arrives after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated he was "very anxious" 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, said 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.

Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Timeline

The decision of a BMA ballot is due on Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will begin on Wednesday.

Ministers states its offer includes measures that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for training expenses.

Yet, the deal omits a pay rise. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Calls for Focus on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA called on the health secretary to "focus his time and attention 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 BMA has also written to 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 Response and Influenza Data

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't taken up 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."

Regarding the flu outbreak, health officials 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 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 include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the senior doctor for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were more ready 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. Should members vote in favor, a second ballot would be held on resolving the dispute for good.