Isle of Man doctors to strike for first time in history

Walkout to take place later this month

Doctors on the Isle of Man will go on strike for the first time in history later this month.

The British Medical Association has confirmed staff will take action from 7am on Wednesday, 22 January until 7am on Friday, 24 January.

The BMA says this decision comes 'as Manx Care fail to make an acceptable offer that gives doctors fairer pay.'

Meanwhile, Manx Care states it'll provide a service update as soon as possible prioritising 'reducing impact and harm to patients and service user.'

On strike days doctors will operate under 'Christmas day cover' - as a result, whilst emergency care will still be available for those who need it, many services will be limited.

Chair of the Isle of Man Medical Society Dr Prakash Thiagarajan said: "We have no desire to go on strike, but we made clear to Manx Care that this would be the outcome without an acceptable pay offer.

"There’s still time for an offer to be put forward and these strikes averted.

"Doctors deserve to be paid fairly for the valuable work they do, and the pay cuts we’ve seen over the last decade have become untenable.

"It’s disappointing to find ourselves in this position, but the solution is clear: restore our lost pay."

The BMA adds it will continue discussions with Manx Care. 

Doctors have been asking for a 12.6 percent uplift in pay for 23/24 financial year.

Last December 121 out of 127 doctors who responded to a BMA ballot voted in favour of industrial action.

Professor Phil Banfield, Chair of the BMA, said: “The BMA stands behind Isle of Man doctors as they make the historic decision to go out on strike for the very first time.

"We trust that Manx Care see how serious this issue is and act quickly to provide Isle of Man doctors with a credible pay offer that can avert strike action and values the expertise that doctors bring to the health and well-being of the Island.”

In a statement this evening (14 January), Manx Care says: "Manx Care remains in discussions with the British Medical Association (BMA), to try and resolve their current pay dispute.

"The BMA today (14 January 2025) announced that they will be taking industrial action on 22 and 23 January 2025, giving the minimum notice required to Manx Care. 

"A further productive meeting was held today (14 January 2025) with support from the Manx Industrial Relations Service (MIRS), and now Manx Care’s focus is on planning for strike action by the BMA.

"A service update will be provided by Manx Care as soon as possible, with the priority being to reduce impact and harm to patients and service users."