Northern Ireland Resident Doctors Begin 24-Hour Pay Strike Amid 20% Pay Erosion

Resident doctors across Northern Ireland are undertaking a 24-hour walkout over pay, starting at 7am and concluding at 6:59am tomorrow. This strike, involving doctors in hospitals and GP surgeries, demands full pay restoration and follows similar action by consultants and specialist doctors last week.

The British Medical Association (BMA) states that all doctors in Northern Ireland are in dispute with the Department of Health, including GPs over the 2025/26 General Medical Services (GMS) contract. Dr. Steven Montgomery, chair of BMA's Northern Ireland resident doctors committee, highlighted that pay erosion for resident doctors has reached up to 20% since 2008, leaving them behind colleagues in the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Dr. Montgomery described the situation as a «perfect storm» for the health service, citing growing patient numbers, a shortage of doctors, and younger doctors leaving for better pay and conditions. He noted that over half of penultimate and final year medical students in Northern Ireland plan to leave or are undecided due to poor pay. He urged Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to engage in meaningful negotiations for pay restoration, calling it unacceptable that doctors are forced to strike while the government delays action.