The first collective ballot of all secondary care doctors working in Northern Ireland on taking strike action over pay opens today.

The ballot of consultants, SAS (specialist, associate specialist, and specialty) doctors and resident doctors was called after doctors’ leaders deemed the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body’s (DDRB) recommendation of a 3.5% pay uplift for this year as unacceptable and not enough to address 18 years of pay erosion. 

The ballot will run for four weeks until Monday 08 June. If a yes vote is returned, the Government risks having all doctors working in Northern Ireland’s hospitals taking industrial action during the same period. 
Speaking about the ballot, Dr David Farren, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee, said:

“We are balloting because successive, sub-inflationary, and late pay awards are seriously undermining the morale of doctors and driving them away from the health service.

“The DDRB recommended uplift of 3.5% for this year simply does not address years of pay erosion or recognise the complex, highly pressurised work doctors are responsible for. 

“Not only that, when we met with the health minister recently, he was unable to assure us that doctors will be paid this uplift this year. It is indefensible to continually treat key staff this way and rely on their goodwill to keep the health service running. It is why we are losing consultants to early retirement and jobs in other countries.”

“We have been left with no choice but to stand up for the profession and ultimately patient care,” said Dr Leanne Davison, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland SAS committee. 

“SAS doctors tell us that they are overworked and undervalued. We are a key section of the medical workforce yet pay erosion and lack of recognition is causing a recruitment crisis. We must send a clear message to government that doctors are prepared to act to restore our pay.”

Dr Steven Montgomery, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland resident doctors committee, said: “Resident doctors want to stay and work in Northern Ireland, but the government’s refusal to meaningfully address pay erosion is forcing many of us to look for work elsewhere or consider leaving medicine entirely. This is a dereliction of duty on the part of government when we have a growing, aging population that will depend on early career doctors to care for them. 

“Balloting for strike action again is not something we want to do, but if we do not reverse pay erosion, then the loss of doctors from our health service will continue, leaving the system unable to care for patients.”