Northern Ireland’s junior doctors have started a strike to demand better pay, causing widespread disruption to patient care. Over 97% of those who voted were in favor of the strike, with a turnout of 63.7%, according to the British Medical Association (BMA). The union claimed that this showed doctors felt they had no other choice. The Department of Health said it would engage in negotiations with the BMA and was committed to de-escalating the situation. However, it warned that disruption would be significant.
The industrial action will last for only one day, from 8 a.m. on Wednesday to 8 a.m. on Thursday. However, senior medical staff will have to cover the roles that would be typically undertaken by junior doctors. The Department of Health has advised patients to check the health trust websites for further information.
The BMA reported that junior doctors’ salaries fell by 30% over the past fifteen years in Northern Ireland. Salaries currently start from £26,000 per annum, but some doctors claim that they earn under £13 an hour when factoring in weekend and overtime work. While pay reviews are independently carried out, the Department of Health said it could only implement the recommendations or mirror pay settlements in England.
Dr Fiona Griffin, Chairwoman of BMA junior doctors committee in Northern Ireland, stated that doctors were considering leaving as “nothing less than an immediate, above inflation pay award and a commitment to full pay restoration to 2008 levels will only address this. Otherwise, the vicious cycle of staffing shortages and worsening patient care will only continue.”
The strike comes after junior doctors in England ended a five-day strike in March 2016 over pay
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