NI health: Consultants and specialist doctors begin strike action

On Thursday, the Southern Trust said that 143 outpatient appointments had been rescheduled, as had 11 surgeries.

The South Eastern Health Trust said Lagan Valley Hospital’s urgent care centre is closed because of the strike action.

The Northern Trust said that five planned day procedures, 62 outpatient appointments and 64 radiology appointments had been rescheduled.

The Belfast Trust said it was “expecting significant disruption” to its services as a result of planned industrial action on Thursday and Monday.

It said 569 outpatient appointments had been postponed as well as 114 day cases.

It added any patients affected by the industrial action would be contacted directly and an alternative date would be arranged as soon as possible.

Anyone else should attend their appointment as planned.

The Western Trust said 321 appointments had been postponed or cancelled on Thursday.

These included inpatients, outpatients and day cases.

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 (specialist, associate specialist and speciality) doctors voted in favour of strike action.

Both branches of practice voted in favour of industrial action in what they said was “over 18 years of pay erosion”.

Representatives from the BMA will go to Stormont on Thursday where they will meet with the chair and deputy chair of the assembly’s health committee to discuss the pay dispute.

SAS doctors are fully qualified doctors who work permanently with the healthcare team in their chosen area of medicine.