Specialist doctors to join strike in dispute over pay

Specialist, associate specialist and speciality grade (SAS) doctors in Northern Ireland have said they will go on strike in a dispute over pay.

It comes after consultant and resident doctors voted in favour of industrial action on Monday.

Two separate 24-hour walk outs will take place on 25 June and 29 June after a 3.5% pay rise was rejected.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said 90% of SAS doctors voted in favour of strike action.

Dr Leanne Davison, chair of BMA's Northern Ireland SAS committee (NISASC), said the doctors "do not take the decision to strike lightly".

She said the result reflects the "strength of feeling" across the workforce about "pay erosion", adding that doctors have seen pay "steadily eroded" since 2008.

"This clear 'yes' vote shows that we have reached a tipping point. SAS doctors are prepared to stand up for the future of the medical workforce and the care we provide to patients," she said.

"Strike action is still avoidable. It is now up to the government to come forward with a meaningful and credible offer that makes real progress towards pay restoration," Davison added.

Dr Clodagh Corrigan, deputy chair of the committee, said doctors in Northern Ireland are the "lowest paid of all of the hospital doctors" in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

"It's reached a stage where we are now losing our medical staff, we're haemorrhaging our talent and we can't provide service. If we continue in this way, we won't have a service to provide."