Junior doctors vote 'overwhelmingly' in favour of industrial action over long hours

Susan Clyne, IMO Chief Executive; Dr John Cannon, Chair of the NCHD committee of the IMO; and Dr Rachel McNamara, IMO committee member. Picture: Fennell Photography

Junior doctors working for the HSE have voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of industrial action in relation to long working hours and unsafe conditions.

This means patients could face another round of cancelled operations and treatment within weeks, following strike action by medical scientists in recent weeks.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has balloted 7,500 doctors in recent weeks, and on Monday said 97% of the votes by the time the ballot closed were in favour of taking action including a possible strike.

The union has called on the HSE and Department of Health to take part in urgent negotiations, and said if this does not happen they will serve 21 days' notice for some form of industrial action.

The junior doctors, formally known as non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), are considered the backbone of the HSE system.

The dispute is centred on “unsafe and illegal working hours” with doctors saying they are frequently not paid for all the hours they work. They also claim they do not receive study leave and find it difficult taking annual leave. They have also raised issues around “unsustainable” costs of training.

The union will now discuss the ballot result with the HSE and Department of Health. They will “seek urgent negotiations to resolve the issues under dispute” a spokesman said.

“If Department of Health and HSE are not prepared to seriously engage on resolving issues IMO will issue 21 Days’ Notice of Industrial Action,” he said.

Chair of the IMO NCHD committee Dr John Cannon said the result was a “huge endorsement” and reflects the frustration of doctors around the country.

“NCHDs are leaving Ireland in higher numbers than ever,” he said. “That is a direct consequence of the manner in which the HSE and Department of Health treat them, and something must change so that our system is safer for doctors and patients.” 

The union has found many junior doctors working in excess of agreed hours, breaching rules set in place under the European Working Time Directive including shifts of over 24 hours and working more than 48 hours in a week.

Last month the HSE estimated around 14,000 patients were affected every day when medical scientists downed tools during a pay dispute between the State and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association.

Similar action by junior doctors could be devastating for patients as they work across every area of hospital care.