Resident doctors take strike action over pay

Image caption, Dr David Farren said doctors were either burning out or leaving Northern Ireland, and described it as an "existential threat to our health service" ByClaire Quinn BBC News NI Resident doctors are taking part in an industrial action in a dispute over pay. The 24-hour industrial action began at 07:00 BST on Monday and will end at 06:59 on Tuesday. It comes after consultants and specialist doctors went on strike last week - the first time for these two groups of doctors in Northern Ireland. Last week, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he remained committed to implementing this year's pay award but was currently unable to do so in the absence of an agreed budget. Also speaking last week, Dr David Farren, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Northern Ireland consultants committee, said the resident doctor strike would be a "full walk out" rather than Christmas Day cover as it was for Thursday's strike. "The consultants and SAS (specialist, associate specialist and speciality) doctors will change what the do on a day-to-day basis to make sure that emergency care and urgent care is prioritised," he said. Picket line demonstrations are taking place at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Craigavon Area Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. The BMA balloted its members over a four-week period after doctors' leaders rejected a recommended 3.5% pay uplift from an independent pay body. Earlier this month it was announced that 92% of resident doctors voted yes and 79% of consultants voted for strike action. The BMA also said 90% of SAS doctors voted in favour of strike action. Both branches of practice voted in favour of industrial action in what they said was "over 18 years of pay erosion" and rejected the 3.5% pay rise. SAS doctors are fully qualified doctors who work permanently with the healthcare team in their chosen area of medicine. 'Perfect storm for our health service' Dr Steven Montgomery, BMA's Northern Ireland resident doctors committee chair, said the "better pay and better working conditions on offer in other countries means we are losing doctors when we really need to do all we can to keep doctors working here". He said the "growing patient numbers without the necessary number of doctors needed to meet this demand and pressure" was a "perfect storm for our health service". "We did not think we would have to take strike action again so soon after the last walk-outs, but we were left with no choice. "The onus is now firmly on government to engage urgently and meaningfully and present a credible way forward to avert strike action," Montgomery said. Farren added: "Doctors in Northern Ireland are lowest paid in these islands and we have been trying to work with the minister and the department of health to rectify that, to get what he terms 'pay parity'. "Unfortunately, despite all of that, we continue to not have pay parity and, as a result, we have been forced after years of negotiations to take unprecedented strike action." Image source, PA MediaImage caption, The Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said if he could pay the doctors more than 3.5% then he would "be very happy to do so" Last week, the health minister said to go beyond the 3.5% as recommended by 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 said. "There is simply no scope for pay awards beyond the recommendations of the review bodies in 26-27." Will there be cancellations? Farren said there would "undoubtedly be cancellation of operations, of outpatient appointments and elective care" but patient safety would "still be prioritised". He said it was a "very difficult decision" to go on strike. "I have seen hospital consultants that I work with just simply either burning out or deciding for their own health and well being to move to another county and practice medicine, the rest of us left behind have to shoulder that responsibility - it cannot go on. "This is an existential threat to our health service," Farren said.