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NI losing junior doctors 'at an alarming rate'

Pay parity is needed for junior doctors so Northern Ireland's health system can stop "haemorrhaging" staff, a junior doctor has said.

A newly qualified doctor in Northern Ireland earns £26,000 per year; in England the starting rate is over £33,000, and in Scotland it is £32,000.

Dr Steven Montgomery, who works in the Southern Trust, said highly skilled and qualified staff are leaving and many junior doctors feel "burnt out".

On Monday, a ballot for strike action among junior doctors began in Northern Ireland.

It will run for six weeks and could result in a 24-hour walkout.

Read more here.

8 January 2024

British Medical Association (BMA)

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