Hospital doctors in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, with two 24-hour walkouts now scheduled for Thursday 25 June and Monday 29 June. The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the result following a four-week ballot after doctors' leaders rejected a recommended 3.5% pay uplift from an independent pay body.

Emergency and critical care services will continue as normal during the strikes, but planned operations and routine procedures are expected to be postponed. The ballot saw 92% of resident doctors and 79% of consultants voting in favour of strike action, with the result for SAS doctors (specialist, associate specialist, and specialty doctors) due on 12 June.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt expressed disappointment at the outcome, stating he remains committed to implementing the recommended pay award but is unable to do so without an agreed budget. Hopes for a multi-year Stormont budget, which would have provided financial certainty, were dashed in January when agreement could not be reached.

Dr David Farren, chair of BMA Northern Ireland consultants committee, said the ballot result reflected widespread concerns about pay erosion, workload pressures, and the future of the profession. He noted that doctors' pay in Northern Ireland lags behind other parts of the UK and is considerably behind rates in Wales and the Republic of Ireland, with any increases falling below inflation since 2008.

Minister Nesbitt acknowledged recent progress on elective waiting lists, attributing improvements to the hard work of healthcare staff. He warned that strike action jeopardises those gains and stated that financial constraints leave no room for negotiation beyond the 3.5% offer. The Department of Health has said it will continue to engage with health unions despite the impasse.