BMA Cautions Against Flu 'Alarmism' Prior to Impending Physician Walkouts
The leading doctors' union has raised an alarm against what it calls widespread "fearmongering" concerning the current influenza outbreak, while its members vote on if they should proceed with impending walkouts in England the coming week.
BMA Response to Ministerial Worries
This comes after the Health Minister, Wes Streeting, stated he was "deeply concerned" about the looming "one-two punch" of increasing figures of flu patients in hospitals and the approaching resident doctor strikes.
BMA resident doctors committee chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said that while the union was not "downplaying" 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," a letter from the union stated.
Industrial Action Ballot and Potential Schedule
The outcome of a union vote is expected on Monday. If it is rejected, a five-day strike will commence on Wednesday.
The government argues its offer includes legislation that gives preference to British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to pay for professional development costs.
But, the deal does not include a salary increase. Sir Keir Starmer has commented that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.
Calls for Focus on a Deal
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 written to chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, saying that, in the event of a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "uphold safe patient care."
Government Reaction and Flu Data
In an interview with media, Mr. Streeting said the current situation was "perhaps 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.
Echoing the health secretary, the prime minister said the "reckless" strikes "ought not to go ahead" while the NHS is facing its "most challenging moment since the pandemic."
Concerning the flu outbreak, experts 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 start from 2021 and so do not include the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.
Despite the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could manage and that hospitals were better prepared 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 call off Wednesday's strikes. If members indicate yes, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute for good.
