Northern Ireland BMA strike will cancel routine and elective services by consultants and specialist doctors
Industrial action by doctors will see most routine and elective services by consultants and specialist doctors cancelled across Northern Ireland this Thursday.
However cover for emergencies – or Christmas Day cover - will still be provided during the action.
Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, will also stage a walk out on Monday 29 June, however consultants and specialist doctors will cover for them during the action.
GP services will not be affected at any time by any of the strikes.
A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "The industrial action for consultants and specialists will take the form of Christmas Day cover. This means that most routine and elective services will be cancelled but full emergency cover will remain in place. The action will last from 7am on Thursday 25 June to 6.59am on Friday 26 June.
"The industrial action for residents will take the form of a full walk out. The action will last from 7am on Monday 29 June to 6.59am on Tuesday 30 June."
She added that consultants and specialist doctors will provide full cover for residents during the strike on 29 June.
At no time will GP services be in any way impacted, she added.
The BMA says they are not negotiating in public and will not publicly say what their demands are to end the action.
However they are striking primarily over pay. They argue that their pay has suffered a 19% erosion against inflation since 2008, when they say government austerity began.
They have already rejected a 3.5% pay offer and while it is understood they are not asking for a 20% pay offer at this time, they are pressing for what they see as a "credible" offer.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said the action could affect recent progress on reducing waiting lists.
He said there was no money in his budget to offer more than a 3.5% pay rise.
"So, calling on me to act fails to recognise this is an executive decision," he told the BBC.
Earlier this week resident doctors in England said they would vote on whether to accept a new Government deal on pay and jobs.
It comes after the BMA called off a strike at the last minute to put the offer to members.
The package includes standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed medics and an average 6.6% pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027.
The BMA says pay is a key factor in recruiting and crucially retaining doctors in Northern Ireland. It says the lower pay in Northern Ireland combined with a health service that is under severe and sustained pressure, and faces huge demand on services, means many doctors are choosing to work elsewhere, retire early or critically, reduce their working hours to prevent complete burnout.
This, it argues, creates a vicious cycle for those left behind, who face an increased workload due to staff vacancies and increased stress levels leading to more burnout.
The pay disparity means working in NI is "unappealing" to resident doctors seeking to develop their career and move into consultant roles and for newly qualified consultants who can achieve a much higher rate of pay in the Republic of Ireland or other parts of the UK, the BMA says.