Consultants and specialist doctors in Northern Ireland staged industrial action on Thursday in a dispute centered on compensation and workforce retention. The 24-hour walkout, which marked the first strike by these physician groups in the region, resulted in the cancellation or rescheduling of various routine and elective appointments across health trusts, though the Department of Health indicated that 90% of such services continued operating. Emergency services maintained full coverage throughout the action.
The British Medical Association conducted ballots among its membership over a four-week period following the rejection of a recommended 3.5% pay uplift from an independent pay body. Survey results showed strong support for strike measures, with 92% of resident doctors, 79% of consultants, and 90% of specialist, associate specialist and speciality doctors voting in favor. Physician representatives cited over 18 years of pay erosion as a driving factor in their decision to proceed with industrial action.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt expressed disappointment with the strike but stated his commitment to implementing the recommended pay award within budgetary constraints. He noted that extending compensation beyond the 3.5% recommendation would create repercussions across the broader public sector workforce. BMA leadership countered that pay rates for Northern Ireland doctors lag behind those in England, Scotland, and Wales, and emphasized that physician attrition and reduced contracted hours threaten service delivery and staff burnout.
Various health trusts reported significant service disruptions. The Belfast Trust postponed 569 outpatient appointments and 114 day cases, while the Western Trust rescheduled 321 appointments. The Southern Trust reported 143 rescheduled outpatient appointments and 11 surgeries, and the Northern Trust rescheduled multiple procedures and diagnostic appointments. BMA representatives scheduled a meeting with assembly health committee leadership to discuss the dispute, with plans for an additional 24-hour walkout later in the month.
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