Doctors vote for strike action in pay dispute

Doctors on the Isle of Man have voted "overwhelmingly" in support of taking strike action in a dispute over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said 127 of its 155 members working for Manx Care took part in the vote, with 95% of respondents "prepared" to walk out.

The union's call for a 12.6% uplift for the 2023-24 pay award year was rejected as "unaffordable" by Manx Care, which implemented 6% as an interim measure instead.

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said Manx Care had "negotiated within their budget and offered several solutions".

"We recognise the invaluable contribution of our doctors, and believe they deserve a fair pay rise. However, we must manage our finances and stay within our budget", the statement said.

Spending more than what had been allocated for pay rises would mean reallocating funding from other services, potentially leading to cuts or service reductions, it added.

The island's healthcare provider is facing a £16.8m deficit this financial year, and has been tasked with making savings in a bid to balance its books.

However, chairman of the Isle of Man Medical Society Prakash Thiagarajan said there was now a "clear mandate" from BMA members "Manx Care cannot ignore", but said it was hoped "we can still avoid strike action".

"Doctors want to give patients the best possible care and that's achieved by improving the working lives of doctors and the first step towards such improvement is reduction of the years of pay erosion we have suffered," he added.

A total of 121 of 127 doctors who responded to the ballot, including salaried dentists and consultants, supported potential action.

Pay rises of 3% for 2021-22, followed by 6% coupled with a £1,000 consolidated increase in 2022-23 have been awarded in previous years.

In a statement, the BMA said it had warned of deep frustrations felt by doctors following a survey in October but, after a series of meetings with Manx Care, an acceptable deal had not yet been put forward.

But the union said it remained committed to working towards a negotiated solution.

Chairman of the BMA council Phil Banfield said doctors on the island were "overworked, underpaid and overlooked" and "deserved the same as those in the same roles in the UK", who had "fought for, and won, pay uplifts".

The six-week ballot, which was the first of its kind for Manx doctors, ran until 23 December.

No dates for any possible action have been set yet.

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