Northern Ireland BMA junior doctors strike: Respiratory consultant says industrial action putting patients lives 'at risk'

The strike by junior doctors will be putting the lives of some patients “at risk” due to 5000 cancelled or postponed appointments, a leading consultant has said.

Junior doctors are on strike across Northern Ireland from 7am on Wednesday to 7am on Friday this week.

They say their salaries have been eroded in value by 30% in 15 years as they did not track inflation.

Dr Geoffrey Todd is respiratory consultant who worked for 30 years in the NHS before going private at the Ulster Independent Clinic.

Consultant Dr Geffrey Todd says junior doctors on strike this week are putting the lives of patients at risk.

He said the cancellation of 5,125 appointments this week is putting patients' lives "at risk" and causing immense stress to patients, their families and other NHS colleagues.

"Most of the people I trained with - and most people who trained me - would have been absolutely horrified at junior staff going out to strike for more money," he told the News Letter.

"They are putting patients' health, welfare and sometimes lives at risk for the sake of some extra shillings."

Sometimes people given non-urgent appointments - such as some of the 5000 cancelled this week - turn out to be very seriously ill, he adds.

It is important to remember that 'junior' doctors who complete their training are likely to earn more than £100,000 per year, he adds.

"Doctors who strike are in the wrong job. They should have been estate agents or something.

"I have three children. A Flight Physicist, an Architect and a Doctor. The Doctor at all stages of her career has earned more than double than either of the others.”

He knew financial pressures himself as a junior doctor. In the 1980s a bank hesitated in lending him money when he needed it.

He recalls working 100 hours a week in the Royal Victoria Hospital for £2,200 a month.

That was “clearly wrong” and he is not suggesting a return to this.

But he says doctors have always worked long hours and often worked without pay.

"We must obviously try to improve conditions for doctors - there is absolutely no doubt about that. My argument is with what action junior doctors take to move their case forward."

The BMA was invited to respond to his comments.

Dr Fiona Griffin said: “Our strike is working to reverse years of pay erosion. The lower levels of pay are having an effect on the ability to retain doctors in the health service and the shortages and rota gaps are leading to unmanageable workloads and high levels of burnout, with many young doctors deciding to work elsewhere or leave the profession.

“In 2023 over 10% of foundation doctors [those in year 1 of their career] left before they even took up their post. Of the 425 specialty jobs advertised in 2023, only 360 had been filled. In the 2023/24 GP training programme intake, only 99 out of 121 posts had been filled to start in August 2023.  

“All of this impacts on our ability to deliver the health service people in Northern Ireland deserve.”

Meanwhile, education support workers went out on strike this week over the failure of the Executive to honour promised rises from a grading review.

Bus drivers, classroom assistants, cleaning and canteen staff were on strike on Monday to Wednesday, with more action planned on 3 and 4 June.