Non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has announced.

The proposal to commence industrial action had been recommended by the IMO’s NCHD Committee and over 97% of the votes were in favour.

The ongoing dispute centres on a number of issues, including:

-Unsafe and illegal working hours

-Failure by the employer to pay NCHDs for all hours worked

-Unsustainable costs associated with NCHD training.

According to the chair of the NCHD Committee, Dr John Cannon, the result of the ballot reflects the level of anger and frustration among NCHDs nationwide. He pointed out that these vital healthcare professionals are “leaving Ireland in higher numbers than ever before”.

“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,” Dr Cannon commented.

The IMO will now seek urgent negotiations with the HSE and Department of Health to resolve the issues under dispute. If they are not prepared to seriously engage on these issues, the IMO will issue 21 days notice of industrial action.

Dr Cannon noted that while any kind of strike action is “extremely difficult for doctors, there may be no choice”.

“It is simply intolerable to treat NCHDs in this way. Everyone, including the Minister for Health who spoke on the issue at the IMO’s recent AGM, agrees that current conditions are unacceptable. Now is the time to do something about it,” he added.