Doctors in Northern Ireland are planning two days of industrial action later this month in a dispute over pay. Consultants and Specialty and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors will walk out from 7am on Thursday 25 June until 7am on Friday 26 June. Resident doctors are to join the action with a 24-hour stoppage on Monday 29 June.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he was disappointed by the decision, noting that fewer than a quarter of doctors had voted for the action. Overall, 24.8 percent of the medical workforce backed the strikes. He stressed that more than 90 percent of health and social care services would operate as normal, and patients with appointments should attend unless directly told otherwise. Trusts have activated contingency plans to maintain essential services.

At the heart of the dispute is pay. The independent Doctors' and Dentists' Pay Review Body recommended a 3.5 percent uplift for 2026-27, which Mr Nesbitt supports. He pointed out that this is higher than the award for other healthcare professionals. However, the British Medical Association has indicated that even this increase is not enough to meet its demands.

The minister said he is unable to implement the recommended pay rise without an agreed departmental budget. He added that going beyond the 3.5 percent figure would have significant knock-on effects for other public sector workers, including nurses, teachers and police officers, and would require a decision by the wider Stormont Executive.

Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen called on the minister and the Department of Health to urgently engage with doctors. She said that while strike action is a last resort, it reflects growing frustration among staff working in an overstretched system. She argued that doctors and nurses are not to blame for the crisis, and that action is needed to improve pay and conditions to retain staff and attract new recruits.

The British Medical Association has confirmed that GP services will not be affected at any point during the industrial action.