Chief Minister urges talks to avoid doctors' strike

The Chief Minister urged the BMA to "consider carefully the value of strike action".

The Isle of Man’s Chief Minister has called for "constructive dialogue and reform" to try and avoid a strike by doctors on the island.

He has written to the British Medical Association (BMA) and Manx Care to urge against walkouts.

Doctors and dentists from the island’s healthcare body are being balloted on industrial action over a pay dispute.

In a letter to the BMA, Alfred Cannan said that "a further substantial increase to headline pay is not financially sustainable" for the government's budget.

Manx Care said it was "unable to improve its offer any further in light of financial constraints, offering the full amount of budget available for annual pay awards".

The BMA commented: "We hope to meet with the chief minister and the chief executive of Manx Care very soon and we remain committed to negotiated solution that avoids strike action, and which provides doctors with fair pay and working conditions."

The BMA's demand for a 12.6% rise for the 2023-24 pay award was said to be "unaffordable" by Manx Care, which gave a 6% interim rise instead, with 4% offered for 2024/25.

In October, Manx Care announced a £5m raft of cuts to services, in a bid to plug a £16.8m deficit in its books for the financial year.

Cannan told the BMA: "I am not against hospital consultants receiving an appropriate reward for their skills and endeavours.

"But it has recently come to public attention that there is a very considerable disparity in the levels of remuneration across the medical professional group."

Only "offsetting savings from elsewhere" could fund more pay rises, said Cannan

In his letter to Manx Care, Cannan said that the annual rewards for the 20 highest paid doctors were more than £400,000 and "the current system of remuneration is clearly not financially sustainable without reform".

Manx Care said: "We are prepared to make plans regarding appointments and services when we have more information about the results of the BMA’s ballot."

The health body said that it was "vital" to maintain safe staffing levels in essential or life-preserving services whilst "respecting and acknowledging our colleagues’ right to take industrial action should they so wish".