Consultants and specialist doctors across Northern Ireland began a 24-hour strike at 7am on Thursday, marking the first time the two groups have taken joint industrial action in the region. Routine and elective procedures have been cancelled, with hospitals operating on "Christmas Day-level" staffing, while emergency departments, intensive care and urgent care continue to function normally.

Union leaders from the British Medical Association (BMA) met with the chair and deputy chair of the Stormont Health Committee during the strike to discuss the ongoing pay dispute.

The BMA says the action follows 18 years of pay erosion, with doctors’ real-terms earnings falling while workloads have grown more complex. Dr David Farren, chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee, stated that no doctor wishes to strike but that frustration has built over prolonged pay decline, annual delays in pay awards compared to other UK regions, and the draw of better-paid roles in the Republic of Ireland.

Dr Leanne Davison, who chairs the BMA committee for specialty and associate specialist doctors, warned that the health service can no longer rely on the goodwill of staff. She noted that doctors are leaving the service or cutting their hours, leading to service closures, and called on government to make a credible pay offer to avoid further action.

Resident doctors are scheduled to hold their own 24-hour walkout on Monday, adding to pressure on the health system.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said he was disappointed by the strike but acknowledged that over 90 per cent of health and social care services were operating as planned. He urged patients with appointments to attend unless directly contacted with a cancellation.

Mr Nesbitt said he remains committed to implementing the 2026/27 pay award of 3.5 per cent as recommended by the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body, but lacks an agreed budget to act. He noted that this uplift is higher than that given to other healthcare staff and comes after cumulative pay increases for doctors over the past three years: 30 per cent for resident doctors, 25 per cent for SAS doctors and 24 per cent for consultants.

The minister stressed that going beyond the review body’s recommendation would have consequences for nurses, teachers, police and the wider public sector, and that making such a decision is a matter for the Executive, not him alone. He said there is no scope for pay awards beyond the review bodies’ recommendations in the coming financial year.