Consultants and specialist doctors in Northern Ireland are taking part in industrial action over pay, with medics seeking parity with their colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales.

It is the first time the two groups of doctors have gone on strike in Northern Ireland, and while most routine and elective services will be cancelled, full emergency cover will remain in place.

The 24-hour industrial action began at 07:00 on Thursday. There will be no picket line demonstrations.

Health minister Mike Nesbitt said he was disappointed doctors were going ahead with strike action and he remained committed to implementing this year’s pay award, but was currently unable to do so in the absence of an agreed budget.

The British Medical Association (BMA) balloted its Northern Ireland Health and Social Care members over a four-week period after doctors’ leaders rejected a recommended 3.5% pay uplift from an independent pay body.

Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, Nesbitt said: “If I could give them more than 3.5% then I would be very happy to do so.” He said every minister in the executive was concerned about their budget.

A separate 24-hour walkout will take place on Monday 29 June. Dr David Farren, chairman of the BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee, said the offer from the health minister was not parity.

“It is quite clear that doctors in Northern Ireland are paid less than those in England, Scotland, and Wales. What the minister means by parity means that we get the same uplift as everyone else, but we don’t start on the same footing,” he said.

He added that retaining doctors in Northern Ireland had become an issue.

“There are services that are unable to deliver to patients in this country. While this is primarily about pay, this is about recruiting and retaining doctors in Northern Ireland to deliver the services.”

Earlier this month it was announced that 92% of resident doctors voted yes and 79% of consultants voted for strike action. The BMA also said 90% of SAS (specialist, associate specialist and speciality) doctors voted in favour of strike action.

Both branches of practice voted in favour of industrial action in what they said was “over 18 years of pay erosion”.

Representatives from the BMA will go to Stormont on Thursday where they will meet with the chair and deputy chair of the assembly’s health committee to discuss the pay dispute.

Dr Leanne Davison, chairwoman of the BMA’s Northern Ireland SAS committee, said doctors were choosing to leave the health service or to reduce their contracted hours because of pay erosion, and staffing shortages were causing services to close.

Health minister Nesbitt said 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.

He added: “There is simply no scope for pay awards beyond the recommendations of the review bodies in 2026-27.”

 

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