Doctors' pay: BMA 'disappointed' after talks with health officials

A trade union representing doctors has said it is "extremely disappointed" after engaging in pay talks with health officials in Northern Ireland.

The talks come as junior doctors in Northern Ireland are currently being balloted on strike action.

Unions, including the British Medical Association (BMA), met with Department of Health (DoH) officials on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the BMA expressed disappointment following the talks and urged the DoH to engage further.

In a statement to BBC News NI, the DoH said it will continue to move forward in its negotiations with unions and "remain hopeful that a satisfactory solution for all parties can be reached".

They said they are "acutely aware of the pressures faced by doctors and concerns raised in relation to pay" and Health Minister Robin Swann is clear "resolving ongoing pay disputes is an immediate priority".

The BMA chairs of Northern Ireland's junior doctor committee, SAS committee (representing speciality doctors) and consultants committee said they were left frustrated after the meeting on Thursday.

They said that there had been "a renewed sense of hope" on progress on pay with the return of a functioning Stormont executive and £688m being allocated by the executive for public sector pay increases.

However, their joint statement said that following discussions with DoH officials, that sense of hope has now "ultimately turned to disappointment".

The BMA chairs said that the only pay uplift being offered by department officials was the "below-inflation pay uplift of 6% for 2023/24" and "that this will not be awarded until the end of April".

They also said that any negotiations on further pay uplifts "would only happen after ongoing Westminster pay negotiations with doctors in England had concluded".

Junior doctors in England have already staged strike action in their dispute over pay.

Claiming that this did not leave the room for engagement promised, the BMA chairs said the meeting had left them "extremely disappointed and disheartened".

They said "only an above inflation pay award" and "a commitment to work towards full pay restoration will solve the medical workforce crisis we have in Northern Ireland".

In response, the department said it will continue to engage with the BMA "to discuss a proposed way forward on outstanding issues".

These included a commitment to further engage on doctors pay, which they said would "be better informed" when there was "greater clarity" on the outcome of industrial action taken by doctors in England.

They said following the executive's allocation of £550.6m to the department of health to settle public sector pay deals, it allows the DoH "to continue to move forward in its negotiations with unions".

They said they remain hopeful that a satisfactory solution for all parties can be reached.