JUNIOR doctors on strike in Northern Ireland have apologised for the disruption caused but said they have been left with no other option.

They took to picket lines this morning for a 48-hour stoppage over pay and staff retention, and are set to stage further action in June.

The action — from 7am on Wednesday to 7am on Friday — will see doctors withdraw their labour from hospitals and GP surgeries across Northern Ireland in search of an improved pay deal.

It is expected to cause significant disruption.

Their union, BMA Northern Ireland, has called for a commitment to full pay restoration to 2008 levels, saying that junior doctors have seen their salaries effectively eroded by 30 per cent over the last 15 years due to a failure to make pay awards in line with inflation.

It says newly qualified medics in Northern Ireland see colleagues working elsewhere in the UK and in other jurisdictions getting better pay and conditions for less pressured workloads, and warned doctors are leaving the health service in increasing numbers.

BMA’s Northern Ireland junior doctors committee chairwoman Fiona Griffin was at a picket line at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast this morning.

Colleagues gathered at the Grosvenor Road entrance holding banners that read “pay us or lose us” and “claps don’t pay the bill.”

Ms Griffin said they met with Health Minister Robin Swann on Tuesday morning, but that no resolution was able to be found.

She apologised for the disruption caused by the action but said they felt they had been left with no other option.

“Our pay over the past 16 years has fallen by about 31 per cent, with the rising and sub-inflation pay awards, it has become too much,” she told reporters.

“We’re noticing that lots of our colleagues are leaving to go elsewhere for better pay and better working conditions. It’s an unsustainable position to not work towards pay restoration with us.

“What we’re asking for is pay restoration. We’re not asking for it all at once, we’re asking for it in increments over the coming years to try and fill some of that back in to try and keep doctors in Northern Ireland.

“We must make a stand now on behalf of the workforce and our patients before it is too late.”

Ms Griffin said this strike and further action in June “do not need to happen” and will be called off if a credible offer is put forward.

“To make the decision to start strike action has been incredibly challenging, it was not a decision that was taken lightly but I think we’re doing the right thing,” she said.

“We’re standing up for our patients, we’re standing up for doctors and saying pay attention to us, our asks are reasonable, we want to keep the health service working so work with us.

“I understand there will be an impact on the general public who need to access services today and I’m sorry for that disruption, but what we would like to do is actually make sure that there are doctors available for you to see in five years’ time, in 10 years’ time and 20 years’ time.

“We have called for another 48-hour walk-out from June 6-7. We’re happy to call that off if the minister is able to come forward with a credible offer we can put to members.”

Mr Swann has insisted his department has “done all it can” on pay for junior doctors.

On Tuesday, he told MLAs: “I met with the junior doctors this morning and made that very clear in regards to the challenges where they are coming forward for additional pay asks, that I don’t have the financial capability to currently do that.”