Hospital consultants and specialist doctors in Northern Ireland have walked out in a historic 24-hour strike over pay, marking the first time these two groups have taken joint industrial action. The walkout, which began at 07:00 BST on Thursday and ended at 07:00 on Friday, led to the cancellation of some routine and elective services, though the Department of Health confirmed that 90% of planned procedures went ahead as scheduled.
Full emergency cover remained in place throughout the strike, and patients were advised to attend all scheduled appointments unless they were directly contacted by their trust. There were no picket line demonstrations, but the action has intensified the ongoing dispute between doctors and the Department of Health over pay parity and workforce retention.
Why Are Doctors Striking?
The industrial action stems from a rejected 3.5% pay uplift recommended by an independent pay review body. Doctor leaders argue that this increase does not address the significant erosion of pay they have experienced over the past 18 years, particularly when compared to their counterparts in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Dr David Farren, chairman of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Northern Ireland consultants committee, described a “palpable sense of anger” among hospital doctors. He stressed that the dispute is not just about pay but also about the ability to recruit and retain doctors in Northern Ireland to deliver safe and timely services.
“It is quite clear that doctors in Northern Ireland are paid less than those in England, Scotland, and Wales,” Dr Farren said. “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.”
Dr Leanne Davison, chairwoman of the BMA’s Northern Ireland SAS (specialist, associate specialist and speciality) committee, echoed these concerns, warning that the health service can “no longer run on the goodwill of front-line staff.” She added that doctors are leaving the health service or reducing their contracted hours due to continued pay erosion, leading to service closures and increased pressure on those who remain.
What the BMA Says
Dr Clodagh Corrigan, deputy chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, said it was a “very difficult decision” to take industrial action, but that doctors had been left with no alternative after two years of broken promises and missed deadlines.
“For the last two years, we have been attempting to negotiate with the minister for health to improve our pay and our conditions,” she said. “We have had promise after promise that has been broken and deadlines that have not been delivered upon. So we have been left now with no alternative other than to take this very difficult decision.”
Impact on Hospital Services
The strike caused significant disruption across Northern Ireland’s health trusts, with thousands of appointments and procedures rescheduled. Here’s a breakdown of the impact reported by each trust:
Belfast Trust
The Belfast Trust said it was “expecting significant disruption” to its services and reported 569 outpatient appointments postponed, along with 114 day cases. Patients affected were contacted directly and offered alternative dates as soon as possible.
Southern Trust
The Southern Trust rescheduled 143 outpatient appointments and 11 surgeries on Thursday.
South Eastern Health Trust
The South Eastern Health Trust closed Lagan Valley Hospital’s urgent care centre for the duration of the strike.
Northern Trust
The Northern Trust rescheduled five planned day procedures, 62 outpatient appointments, and 64 radiology appointments.
Western Trust
The Western Trust postponed or cancelled 321 appointments, including inpatient, outpatient, and day cases.
Despite these disruptions, the Department of Health emphasised that 90% of services remained operational, and patients not contacted were urged to attend their appointments as planned.
The Ballot and the Vote
The BMA balloted its members over a four-week period, with doctors’ leaders rejecting the recommended 3.5% pay uplift. The results were decisive:
- 92% of resident doctors voted yes to strike action
- 79% of consultants voted for strike action
- 90% of SAS doctors voted in favour of strike action
Both branches of practice cited “over 18 years of pay erosion” as the driving force behind their decision. SAS doctors are fully qualified doctors who work permanently within the healthcare team in their chosen area of medicine, and their inclusion in this strike marks a significant escalation.
Political Reaction
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt expressed disappointment that doctors went ahead with the strike, reiterating his commitment to implementing this year’s pay award. However, he said he was currently unable to do so in the absence of an agreed budget.
“If I could give them more than 3.5% then I would be very happy to do so,” Nesbitt said on Good Morning Ulster. He warned that going beyond the independent pay review recommendation would have “significant repercussions for nurses, teachers, police officers and indeed the entire public sector workforce.”
“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,” he added. “There is simply no scope for pay awards beyond the recommendations of the review bodies in 26-27.”
Representatives from the BMA met with the chair and deputy chair of the assembly’s health committee at Stormont on Thursday to discuss the pay dispute, but no immediate resolution was announced.
What Happens Next?
A second 24-hour walkout is scheduled for Monday 29 June, which is expected to cause further disruption. The BMA has indicated that further action could follow if a satisfactory resolution is not reached.
Dr Farren warned that retaining doctors in Northern Ireland has become a critical issue, with those who remain being forced to work additional hours and facing burnout. “When doctors leave, the doctors who are left behind are having to work additional hours, they are burning out, they are not able to deliver the care that they need,” he said.
The dispute highlights the deepening crisis in Northern Ireland’s health service, where staffing shortages and pay disparities are putting increasing strain on an already overstretched system. As both sides dig in, patients are left facing uncertainty, and the prospect of further strikes looms large.
For now, the message from the BMA is clear: doctors are united in their demand for fair pay and better working conditions, and they are prepared to take sustained action to achieve it. The onus is now on the health minister and the executive to find a way forward before the situation escalates further.
