Swann Writes To Junior Doctors Before Four Day Strike

Health Minister writes to the BMA Junior Doctors Committee

Health Minister Robin Swann has written to the BMA Junior Doctors Committee in relation to planned industrial action next month setting out his stall.

The row with junior doctor pay has been rumbling for some time, and now that the Assembly is up and running, the medics are asserting their case for fair treatment in wages to be addressed as a priority.

Down News spoke to a junior doctor about the upcoming strike and he set out a simple scenario saying that “government and the NHS itself needs to take a close look at how they are treating junior doctors. This needs to be addressed urgently.

“I fully support the four day strike that the BMA Junior Doctors Committee are now calling on.

He added: “All of our junior doctors care passionately about the NHS and want to see it survive. For too long we have been taken for granted. Many of us feel very undervalued.

‘It is hard to stay focussed and motivated when you are getting paid a small amount above the minimum wage per hour.

“All the way through the Covid pandemic many of my colleagues myself included worked in the front line tirelessly for long hours under significant pressure week after week.

“I am sure quite a few junior doctors suffered mentally as well as physically watching their wages erode year on year.

“If terms and conditions and wages are not looked at seriously, then the worst will happen.

“We will see a future haemorrhaging of medical staff to the private sector and also to far off lands such as Australia and Canada and other places.

“In many countries the wages may be even double or more with less pressure and a better work-like balance on offer.

“After seven years study and training we are entitled to be treated better than the way we are.

“It is sad that we have to go on a four-day strike to let the government know that we are serious about our complaint for fair treatment.

“We appreciate Minister Swann’s kind words, but I feel we are beyond words now, we need to see this delivered into effective policy and fair treatment. We are at the end of our tether.”

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Swann Pleads With BMA Junior Doctor Committee to Re-Consider Going On 4-Day Strike

Health Minister Swann may have his hands tied at the moment as the finances of the new NI Assembly unfold.

But he will no doubt understand the frustration of the junior doctors in Northern Ireland who echo their colleagues in the UK who in many cases receive better wages and conditions.

In his letter addressed to the junior doctors, he expresses considerable empathy and understanding, but has the unenviable task of telling the junior doctors that he is constrained because of “funding realities”.

The full text of Minister Swann’s letter is published below.

I wish to underline my commitment to further detailed engagement between my Department and the BMA Junior Doctors Committee on pay, contract reform and other issues of importance.

While room for manoeuvre on pay may be limited at this present time, I still believe dialogue offers the best way forward. Please be assured, therefore, that my Department’s door remains open for discussions.

As someone with a track record of valuing and supporting health service staff, I must question the merit of the industrial action planned for next month. I know it will impact heavily on patients. 

“As the Executive is starting the important work of stabilising public services, I would ask that all parts of our workforce give us time and space to tackle some exceptionally challenging and intractable problems which have worsened as a result of Covid and the lack of Government.

I fully understand and sympathise with the frustration of junior doctors over both pay and the relentless pressure on services. My plea is that this frustration should not spill into industrial action that cannot achieve anything of substance.

Negotiation is about the art of the possible. While I fully understand the anger of junior doctors who have seen pay not keep pace with inflation in recent years, it is not realistic to expect this issue to be resolved by the Executive and Assembly at this point in time.

Pay erosion has been a consequence of UK Government fiscal policies over the past decade and has been experienced across the UK public sector. This is a national issue. 

“I am committed to doing all I can to match awards given in England – but parity plus for pay awards is not deliverable.

In terms of the medical and dental workforce, I am moving to implement the DDRB recommendations for 2023/24.  For junior doctors, this will deliver a significant average pay increase of 9.1% in 23/24 with those in their first year receiving a 10.7% uplift.  

This award will be back dated and payable to all staff from April 2023.  This pay uplift will compare very favourably to other parts of the public sector and will bring junior doctor basic pay above the level in Wales, and closer to the level in England.  

As you know, there are different contractual arrangements in place for junior doctors in England, which makes precise like for like comparisons difficult.  Locally our current contracts offer a lower basic salary with higher variable supplements for working out of hours or at weekends. 

In contrast, the English contract introduced a higher basic pay and lower variable rates. Under the current contract, junior doctors in NI receive allowances ranging from an additional 20-100% of basic pay depending on their rota.

I should further stress that the DDRB recommended package does not mean a conclusion to engagement on junior doctors’ pay and conditions.

“My Department has committed to further negotiations when we have greater clarity on any final settlement in the ongoing junior doctors dispute in England.  This may also be an appropriate time to address the wider issue of reforming the current contract in NI.

I do not believe it would be appropriate or fair to withhold the 2023/24 DDRB recommended package for doctors and dentists at a time when other public sector workers will be receiving their own pay awards.

“It has already been delayed for far too long in NI due to political and budgetary factors.  As a result, I intend to put this money in the pockets of our doctors and dentists as soon as possible.

In conclusion, I would emphasise that neither my Department nor the Executive have chosen to be in this current budgetary situation.

“We nevertheless have to live within the funding realities and that means having to share out very limited resources as best we can, knowing that we will not be able to meet every demand.