NHS Wales: Doctors tell health minister to prepare for strike

Doctors have given notice to the Welsh government to brace itself for strike action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) Wales wrote to Health Minister Eluned Morgan to tell her it was disappointed at the outcome of pay talks.

It told the health minister it was entering into a formal dispute with the Welsh government and would be balloting doctors about industrial action.

The Welsh government said it was disappointed by news of the ballot.

The union dismissed the administration's 5% offer as being the lowest in the UK.

Ms Morgan previously said it would be "incredibly difficult" to increase the offer.

"This offer constitutes a real terms pay cut and is therefore insulting and unacceptable to our members," it said in the letter to the health minister.

"You know that pay erosion is rapidly driving junior doctors out of the profession at a time when the NHS desperately needs us.

"Yet you have chosen to make this situation even worse. You have chosen to renege on your commitment.

"You have chosen to break the trust of all junior doctors in Wales."

The union said it now had "no option" but to ballot members, a decision which has been ratified by the BMA UK council.

It warned the Welsh government 89% of surveyed doctors said they were willing to take action.

"This number will have increased significantly since your imposition of yet another real terms pay cut," the union said.

"Therefore, we have no doubt that a ballot will be successful and you now need to take seriously the prospect of junior doctors striking in Wales."

It said it remained willing to enter negotiations but wanted a "credible" pay offer.

Previously, Eluned Morgan said a bigger pay rise for doctors could only be achieved by cutting NHS services.

"If we were to try and find that money, it would mean deeper cuts than those already that we are looking at in terms of services that the public are offered at the moment," Ms Morgan said.

The Welsh government said it was "disappointing" doctors had decided to ballot for action but said it understood the strength of feeling among doctors.

A spokesman said: "While we would wish to address the pay restoration ambitions of our vital medical staff, our offer is at the limits of the finances available to us, and reflects the position reached with the other health unions for this year."

It said it could not offer more without extra funding from the UK government.