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.”