Doctors on the island have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action.
The British Medical Association said 121 of 127 (95%) doctors voted yes in its ballot.
This is the first time doctors on the island have been balloted in this way and the first time they will take industrial action.
The doctors, who are employed by Manx Care, are asking for a 12.6% uplift in pay for the 23/24 pay year.
In October, the BMA warned Manx Care of the deep frustration felt by doctors following the results of an annual survey of doctors on the island – the ‘Culture of Care Barometer’ survey.
This survey revealed: a lack of confidence in management, poor culture and overall low morale.
Acceptable
The BMA said that despite a series of meetings between BMA representatives and Manx Care, “an acceptable deal has not yet been put on the table”.
It added: “Whilst talks are ongoing, BMA remains committed to working towards a negotiated solution.”
Chair of the Isle of Man Medical Society, Dr Prakash Thiagarajan said: “We’ve now got a clear mandate from our members that Manx Care cannot ignore. I hope we can still avoid strike action, and that Manx Care will now come to us in good faith to find a solution that values the work we do.
“Doctors want to give patients the best possible care and that’s achieved by improving the working lives of doctors and the first step towards such improvement is reduction of the years of pay erosion we have suffered.”
Underpaid
Prof Phil Banfield, Chair of council at the BMA, added: “Doctors on the Isle of Man are overworked, underpaid and overlooked. These doctors deserve to be treated with fairness and respect.
“Their resident, consultant and SAS colleagues across the UK have fought for, and won, pay uplifts as their first step on a journey to restoring the lost value of their pay.
“Doctors on the Isle of Man deserve the same. The BMA has organised and supported this ballot at the request of its members, and we will continue to support Manx doctors in fighting for appropriate recognition of their skills and expertise they bring to the Island’s patients.”
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