Doctors in Northern Ireland will strike on 25 and 29 June following YES votes in their ballots for industrial action.

Resident doctors and consultants were balloted about pay, with 92% of resident doctors voting yes and 79% of consultants voting for strike action. The result of the ballot of SAS doctors (specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors) will be known on Friday [12 June].

BMA Northern Ireland is now renewing its calls for the health minister to urgently engage with the organisation and avoid strikes with a credible pay offer. 

Pay is a key factor in recruiting and crucially retaining doctors in Northern Ireland; the lower pay in Northern Ireland combined with a health service that is under severe and sustained pressure, and faces huge demand on services, means many doctors are choosing to work elsewhere, retire early or critically, reduce their working hours to prevent complete burnout. This creates a vicious cycle for those left behind, who face an increased workload due to staff vacancies and increased stress levels leading to more burnout.

The pay disparity also means working in Northern Ireland is unappealing to resident doctors seeking to develop their career and move into consultant roles and newly qualified consultants who can achieve a much higher rate of pay if they work in the Republic of Ireland or in other parts of the UK.

Speaking about the ballot result, Dr David Farren, chair of BMA Northern Ireland consultants committee said, “This result sends a very clear message that concerns about pay erosion, workload and the future of the profession are widely shared across the workforce, across all grades of hospital doctor.

“No one who voted in this ballot took this decision lightly; we know that from our conversations with members, but it’s a clear indication from the doctors who actually deliver the health service in Northern Ireland exactly how serious the situation has become.”

Dr Steven Montgomery, BMA’s Northern Ireland resident doctors committee chair said, “This result makes it clear that doctors are standing up for safe, sustainable services and for being valued to stay working in Northern Ireland. Younger doctors in particular are more mobile and the better pay and better working conditions on offer in other countries means we are losing doctors when we really need to do all we can to keep doctors working here.

“The onus is now firmly on government to engage urgently and meaningfully and present a credible way forward to avert strike action.”

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Notes to editors

The industrial action for consultants will take the form of Christmas Day cover. This means that most routine and elective services will be cancelled but full emergency cover will remain in place. The action will last from 7am on Thursday 25 June to 6.59am on Friday 26 June

The industrial action for residents will take the form of a full walk out. The action will last from 7am on Monday 29 June to 6.59am on Tuesday 30 June.

BMA announced its planned dates for industrial action six weeks before the potential action so that plans could be put in place to manage patient lists and prioritise urgent patient care in the event of a successful ballot. We will prioritise patient safety and continue to provide emergency care, in-keeping with the level of services available on Christmas Day. There will be a process agreed for requesting derogations for emergencies.