Health Trusts to pay consultants up to £220 per hour to cover for striking junior doctors

Health Trusts are to pay consultants up to £220 per hour to cover for striking junior doctors, UTV can reveal.

Junior doctors across Northern Ireland are due to stage a 24-hour strike from 8am on Wednesday in a dispute over pay.

Some consultants who agree to cover shifts during the walkout could earn as much as £1,760 for an eight hour shift.

A letter from Health and Social Care services to all Health Trusts - seen by UTV - said: "As an exceptional measure we have agreed to escalate rates of pay for work performed during the industrial action which is expected to be outside of job plan and/or the grade they would normally be expected to work."

The letter outlines the temporary pay rates, which include £110 per hour for a daytime consultant, up to £220 per hour for an out of hours consultant.

The British Medical Association NI said: "It is the responsibility of employers to ensure services are adequately staffed on strike days and Trusts were given appropriate notice by the BMA to allow them to do so.

"Consultants support their junior doctor colleagues in their industrial action, but when they provide cover, this is in addition to their regular responsibilities. It is therefore entirely appropriate that they are compensated for this extra work."

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