Northern Ireland doctors considering action over pay as vast majority unhappy at recommended 4.5% increase

The head of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland, a body representing doctors and junior doctors, has said committees will look at “what action members are prepared to take”.

Dr Tom Black, chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland committee, made the comment after a survey found an overwhelming majority were unhappy about a recommended pay award worth 4.5%.

It remains unclear if the award will even be made in Northern Ireland, where the Health Minister Robin Swann has said he he is unable to do so in the absence of a fully functioning Executive at Stormont.

In a statement following the doctors’ survey, a spokesperson for the BMA said: “In a BMA NI survey of more than 1,000 doctors working in Northern Ireland, 85% of respondents said the proposed uplift of 4.5% was ‘too low’, with discontent particularly high among junior doctors with 93% of them saying it was too low.

“With morale in the health service at an all-time low, the lack of financial recognition is another blow with 81% of respondents saying they did not feel the award valued doctors. Of particular concern was the inability to actually make the pay the award due to the lack of an Assembly and Executive here, with 89% of respondents saying the inability to apply the uplift had decreased or significantly decreased their morale.”

Commenting on the findings, Dr Black said: “The level of dissatisfaction, low morale and burnout among doctors is probably higher than I have ever seen it. We are doing our best to meet the needs of patients but are under pressure from all sides and a low pay award combined with an inability to actually get the award paid is another blow.

“This is a real terms pay cut on top of many years of pay erosion. Working as a doctor is becoming increasingly unappealing with rising patient numbers, but complete stasis in terms of transforming our health service and addressing many of the issues it is facing.”

He added: “Our committees will now be looking at what action their members are willing to take. We are clear that we will not put up with this situation.”