The NIRDC considers all matters affecting resident doctors in Northern Ireland and acts on their behalf. We do this by informing, liaising and lobbying with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland (DoH), Single Lead Employer, NIMDTA (Northern Ireland medical and dental training agency) and host organisations (HSC trusts). We also work closely with BMA’s Northern Ireland Council and the UKRDC. Our main functions are:

• to communicate the activities of the NIRDC and UKRDC to resident doctors in Northern Ireland
• to promote the policies of RDC
• to encourage resident doctors in Northern Ireland to take part in the medico-political process
• to help resident doctors take action against their employers, as may seem necessary by the NIRDC
• to liaise with the BMA (NI) office and the industrial relations officers of the BMA
• to monitor and ensure, to the best of our ability, the enforcement of current national agreements regarding terms and conditions of service at a regional level
• fair interpretation of resident doctors' contracts in NI
• that medical posts established within NI are in accordance with such workforce objectives as may exist from time to time.

Our priorities

Pay restoration

Resident doctors in Northern Ireland are undervalued, underpaid, overworked, and lacking in training opportunities. That’s why we’re fighting for fair pay and full pay restoration.

Read more about our campaign to fix pay for resident doctors.

Our contract our future

As part of the pay deal for resident doctors, accepted via a member vote in January 2025, NIRDC and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland (DoH NI) commenced discussions on negotiating a new contract of employment for residents. Initial planning meetings took place. However these have now been paused due to our pay dispute.

As part of this initial planning stage, NIRDC surveyed all resident doctors in Northern Ireland to hear what they considered key priority areas for a new contract.

Unsurprisingly, pay and working hours came out as the main priority area residents here want to see improved, followed by better safety limits on working hours, and a more robust monitoring process and better standards of facilities. Access to the timely provision of rotas also featured highly and residents want to see an increase in the allocation and provision of self-development time.

• Have your say on what you want to see in a reformed contract for resident doctors.  

• Read more about the 2002 resident doctor contract.

• Read our Blog: ‘Long past time for contract change.’ 

Improving working conditions

As part of the pay deal agreed in January 2025, DoH, the Single Lead Employer (NIMDTA) and host organisations (HSC Trusts), have agreed to work with NIRDC to ensure that the recommendations contained in the report of the Strategic Group for Enhancing the Quality of Medical Education in NI (SGEQMENI) are implemented and a structure and timeframes for monitoring the implementation process be established. This includes:

• work to improve the provision of rest and on-call facilities for doctors in training which is one of the key recommendations within the NIRDC’s fatigue & facilities charter which was developed in May 2020. 
• commitment to “fair and timely rota design” for doctors in training in adherence to the recommendations set out in the Northern Ireland code of practice developed by BMA and DoH NI.
• commitment by NIMDTA to actively support Less than Full Time Training (LTFT) as an option across all NIMDTA medical training programmes. Their LTFT policy has been reviewed to facilitate better trainee and service needs. Implementation of this policy will be monitored at various forums: NIMDTA’s Trainee Forum, NIRDC, and the NIMDTA Single Lead Employer LNC.

#TakeControl

We want to encourage resident doctors to better understand their workplace rights and entitlements. Our infographic outlines some key workplace rights and how you can protect them.

Our people

Chair: Dr Steven Montgomery

Deputy chairs:
Dr Tim Neill (Education, training and other issues)

Dr Helen Kerr (Negotiations and issues relating to terms and conditions, the new deal, the EWTD and revalidation)

Our meetings

We meet four times a year to discuss the issues that are most important to doctors in training.

These meetings are open to members of the NIRDC. Non-voting committee members can also come along and participate as part of the BMA committee visitors scheme.

Next meeting dates:

• Thursday 24th September 2026
• Thursday 10th December 2026
• Thursday 25th February 2027
• Thursday 6th May 2027

All meetings take place from 2pm – 5pm either virtually or as a hybrid meeting (venue can vary).

For more information, emails us.

How to join

There are many advantages to becoming involved in our committees. You can actively influence BMA policy-making and negotiations, represent your colleagues' voices and develop your leadership skills. 

Each committee has a few routes to becoming an elected member. In the case of NIRDC, this is: 

The election section below is kept up to date with details about any running elections, so make sure you keep checking it throughout the year.  

Elections

Elections for the NIRDC are now closed.

Get in touch

If you are interested in finding out more about the work of the NIRDC, email us.