Resident doctors take strike action over pay

Resident doctors take strike action over payImage 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 QuinnBBC News NI PublishedJust nowResident doctors are taking part in an industrial action in a dispute over pay.The 24-hour industrial action will begin at 07:00 BST on Monday and 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.Consultants and specialist doctors take strike action over payPublished3 days agoHospital doctors to strike in dispute over payPublished8 JuneSpecialist doctors to join strike in dispute over payPublished12 JunePicket line demonstrations will take 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...