McGrath offers solidarity to striking doctors
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has expressed the party’s solidarity with striking specialist doctors and consultants.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said: “Our thoughts are firstly with any patients who have been impacted by today’s strike action.
“But it is important to stress that this strike is a direct result of the Executive’s failure to engage positively with doctors and deliver the pay parity they were promised.
“The Health Minister himself has stated that the Executive’s failure to agree a Budget has partly led to this situation, and it is causing serious harm across government departments who are set to see their budgets slashed at a time when they are already failing to make ends meet.
“This will not be a decision that doctors and consultants have taken lightly, but as today proves our health system cannot function without them and we are losing more and more staff every year due to better pay and working conditions in other parts of these islands and further afield.
“I urge the Health Minister to engage with unions and bring an end to this dispute before any further disruption.
“Given the state of our health service and waiting lists, the last thing we need is more appointments missed and patients pushed further down the queue for treatment.”
