Doctors on the Isle of Man are to ballot for industrial action, the British Medical Association has announced.

According to the union, the majority of doctors working on the island have experienced real terms pay cuts by up to 29% since 2008.

This will be the first time that doctors on the Isle of Man have been balloted for industrial action.

Doctors employed by Manx Care want the arms-length healthcare provider to increase their pay by 12.6% uplift for the last (2023/2024) financial year.

The BMA says inflation on the island has increased by 56.3% since 2008 while the maximum consultant’s salary increased by just 27.3% over the same period.

This, it says, is equivalent to real terms pay cut of 29%.

And according to the union, most doctors on the Isle of Man earn significantly less than their colleagues in the UK due to a disparity in pay scales in the two countries.

This, it says, is because although there is a reciprocal agreement with the NHS in terms of patient care.

The BMA says the situation is compounded by the fact that island doctors cannot access local clinical excellence awards (CEAs).

The CEA scheme is an incentive programme which allows NHS consultants to earn extra money on top of their salary for outstanding work or research.

Doctors practising on the Isle of Man have not had access to the scheme since 2004.

Chair of the Isle of Man Medical Society, Dr Prakash Thiagarajan said: ‘No doctor wants to go on strike, but we’ve been trying to improve working conditions for doctors on the Isle of Man by other means for years, to no avail.

‘Doctors on the Isle of Man deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do.

‘Manx Care can still stop this from going any further by addressing the severe real terms pay cuts that Isle of Man doctors have endured.’

Around 155 doctors will be eligible able to vote in the ballot, including residents, consultants, and salaried GPs. 

According to the BMA, these make up nearly all the doctors on the island. 

Doctors will be able to take industrial action if they return a majority vote.

Chair of council of the BMA, Professor Phil Banfield said: ‘I’ve heard from doctors on the Isle of Man how deeply frustrated they are. 

‘They are over stretched and underpaid.

‘Resident, consultant and SAS doctors across the UK have successfully taken action and started the journey to restoring the relative lost value of their pay for the work they do. Doctors on the Isle of Man deserve the same.

‘The BMA stands ready to support Manx doctors in fighting for appropriate recognition of their skills and expertise.’