Consultants and specialist doctors in Northern Ireland start 24-hour strike
The action started at 7am with plans to operate “Christmas Day-level” cover
Last updated 9 hours ago
Consultants and specialist hospital Doctors are taking part in a 24-hour strike today (Thursday) in a row over pay.
It is the first time the two groups of doctors have taken action in Northern Ireland, with Resident Doctors set to head to the picket lines on Monday.
The action starts at 7am today (Thursday) with plans to operate a “Christmas Day-level” staffing, with routine and elective procedures cancelled, but emergency departments, intensive care, and urgent care to function normally.
The Health Minister is stressing he is committed to implementing the recommended 3.5 % pay uplift, but he has to wait for an Executive agreed budget.
Mike Nesbitt has also expressed his disappointment and says scheduled appointments should be attended as planned unless patients been told otherwise.
Meanwhile, a delegation representing the doctors meet with the chair and deputy chair of the Stormont Health Committee to discuss the pay dispute.
Dr David Farren, chairman of BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee (NICC), said pay erosion amid more complex work has caused anger.
“No doctor wants to take strike action.
“However, there is a palpable sense of anger among all secondary care doctors at years of significant pay erosion in return for trying to deliver care in an overstretched health system where their jobs have become more complex and pressured,” he said.
“Add in the now annual uncertainty over late pay awards while our colleagues elsewhere in the UK are paid on time, along with the more lucrative contracts offered in the Republic of Ireland, and you create a hugely demoralising effect on doctors working in Northern Ireland.”
Dr Leanne Davison, chairwoman of BMA’s Northern Ireland Specialists, Associate Specialists and Specialty Doctors Committee, added: “Our health service can no longer run on the goodwill of frontline staff.
“Doctors are choosing to leave the health service or to reduce their contracted hours due to continued pay erosion and we can see the outworkings of this in services having to close due to staffing shortages.
“Those with the power to change this have so far chosen not to, which has forced hospital doctors into the unacceptable position of taking strike action in order to be heard. But it is not too late.
“We again call on government to step in and resolve this dispute with a credible offer to avert strike action without delay.”
Responding, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt expressed his disappointment.
He said more than 90% of services across the Health and Social Care (HSC) system will proceed as planned, and advised that patients with scheduled appointments should attend as planned unless they have been directly contacted to advise their appointment has been postponed.
“I remain committed to implementing this year’s pay award as recommended by the independent Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body (DDRB) but unfortunately, I am currently unable to do so in the absence of an agreed budget for my department,” he said.
“The uplift recommended by the Review Body for 26/27 is 3.5%, which is higher than that for other healthcare professionals working in Health and Social Care (HSC).
“It comes on top of an average cumulative pay uplifts over the last three years of 30% for resident doctors, 25% for Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist doctors (SAS doctors) and 24% for consultants.”
He added: “I recently met with the chairs of the three relevant BMA Committees and made clear my position.
“They made clear that even the increase of 3.5% is nowhere near enough to satisfy their demands.
“To go beyond the 3.5% as recommended by the independent pay review recommendation would have significant repercussions for nurses, teachers, police officers and indeed the entire public sector workforce.
“So, calling on me to act fails to recognise this is an Executive decision, a point I put to the BMA representatives.
“I reiterate my commitment to ensuring HSC colleagues receive their recommended 26/27 pay uplifts, despite the unprecedented shortfall as indicated in my draft budget.
“I value the workforce above our buildings, beds, equipment and medicines.
“But there is simply no scope for pay awards beyond the recommendations of the review bodies in 26/27.”
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