Northern Ireland hospital doctors to be balloted on industrial action
Hospital doctors in Northern Ireland are to be balloted on industrial action, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced.
The BMA said a recommendation from the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body (DDRB) of a 3.5% pay increase for doctors in 2026/27 had been rejected as “unacceptable”.
The ballot will open on May 11 for four weeks.
The BMA said members being balloted include consultants, specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors and resident doctors.
Dr David Farren, chairman of the Northern Ireland consultants committee, said: “We had hoped this year’s DDRB recommendation would be higher, sending a clear message that the work we do is valued and respected.
“The pressures on our members are growing day by day, but this uplift does not reflect the increasing complexity and challenge of the work.
“There is a real risk we will lose more consultants through early retirement, reduced hours, or by leaving for better pay and a more functional health system elsewhere.”
He added: “We will now ballot consultants with a view to taking industrial action.
“Unless urgent action is taken to fix our pay, we will continue to lose doctors from our health service and the system will not be able to care for patients.”
Dr Leanne Davison, NISAS committee chairwoman, said: “SAS doctors are an essential part of the hospital workforce, providing stability, experience and continuity of care, yet our contribution is consistently undervalued.
“Like our colleagues, we have seen our pay steadily eroded, making recruitment and retention increasingly difficult.
“We have been left with no confidence that these issues will be addressed through the usual channels.
“Balloting for industrial action is about standing up for fairness and for the future of the health service in Northern Ireland.
“Without urgent action on pay, the system risks losing more skilled doctors it simply cannot afford to lose.”
He added: “Mike Nesbitt has repeatedly committed that delivering pay will be the very first priority for his department as soon as the Executive budget is agreed.
“That remains his position and again the UUP would urge the Minister of Finance to approach the issue with much greater urgency than he currently is.
“At a time when our health service is under such strain, the priority for all politicians and clinicians must be protecting care, maintaining stability, and doing what is right for patients.
“But the prospect of withdrawing labour will not fix those problems – it will deepen them, and it is patients who will suffer most as a result.
“I would urge the BMA to continue to engage with the Department of Health to avoid escalation and to find a resolution that works both for their members but also supports patients.”