A doctor at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has said the continual erosion of pay and working conditions is driving junior doctors in Northern Ireland to consider strike action for the first time.

Dr. Oisín Fearon warned of a “culture of burnout” that is creeping into the health service, with junior doctors feeling increasingly “undervalued” and “demoralised”.

Junior doctors working in Fermanagh are currently balloting on whether to take strike action, and if successful, will take part in a 24-hour walkout in early March.

Dr. Fearon, an Armagh native who is the Western Trust’s representative for British Medical Association’s NI junior doctors committee, described striking as a “last resort”.

“Junior doctors have never been on strike in Northern Ireland, so this is very much a last resort for us,” he said. “Sadly, we feel that we have no other option than to strike. It’s a difficult choice to make, but a necessary one.”

For junior doctors, pay is a major consideration. Dr. Fearon explained that since 2008, pay has been eroded by 30.8 per cent, causing not only a huge financial loss, but serious workforce issues.

“Overall pay and conditions have been eroded so much over the past two decades, and problems are being caused,” Dr. Fearon said. “As a result, more and more junior doctors are choosing to leave Northern Ireland in search of better pay and conditions.

“Out of my circle, a fair few have moved out to Australia to work. This is a massive upheaval of one’s life and a big decision to make, yet many feel that it’s a better option than staying.

“It’s becoming a race to the bottom, with continually worsening pay and conditions. This can’t go on.”

Dr. Fearon added that the deteriorating situation within healthcare, which is becoming apparent in hospitals across Northern Ireland, is also having an impact on both patients and communities.

“You become a doctor to help people, and you want to be there for your patients,” he said. “Unfortunately, many doctors are feeling the weight of not being able to provide the care we want, within a system that doesn’t deliver results.

“The health service has been brought to its knees and is failing all of us. This is a large part of why we are hoping to strike.”

Speaking of his own experiences within a “failing” health service, Dr. Fearon said: “A&E units are chaotic. I worked in an A&E at the Royal where patients were waiting 20 plus hours to be seen. I would have been starting a shift with 70 plus patients waiting to be seen, knowing that we wouldn’t be able see them all.

“I have to tell patients that they would be waiting seven years before they could see a neurology consultant. This isn’t sustainable and is unfair to patients.”

As the ballot continues, Dr. Fearon has called on elected representatives from all political parties to support the call for an immediate, above-inflation pay award and pay restoration for junior doctors.

He added that he hopes to see politicians support on the picket lines in March should a yes vote be returned.

“We must be paid fairly for the work that we do,” he concluded. “Only by doing that can we ensure that junior doctors stay in Northern Ireland, helping provide a safe service to our patients, and ensuring a future for the health system here.”