Radiography professionals across Northern Ireland are preparing to strike later this month after a ballot of members showed overwhelming support for industrial action.
The Society of Radiographers said members would join other healthcare colleagues in a 48 hour strike beginning on the morning of Thursday September 21.
The union said 90 per cent of its Northern Ireland members who voted in the ballot supported strike action to secure improvements to pay and conditions, as well as increase recruitment and retention of radiography professionals.
Radiography professionals are responsible for carrying out X-rays, MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds and breast screening. They also provide radiotherapy for cancer patients.
Almost 10 per cent of the Northern Ireland population is currently waiting for a diagnostic test, according to the latest figures.
Society of Radiographers regional officer Cora Regan said voting for strike action was "never an easy decision".
"This is especially true for radiography professionals in Northern Ireland, who work excessive hours to provide their patients with the best possible care – while being paid a salary that has fallen significantly behind what radiographers earn in the rest of the UK," she said.
"But it’s overwhelmingly clear from the ballot that our members believe that the current situation is unsustainable."
Read more: Radiographers to walk out across England in action over pay
Radiographer strike action would have a ‘major impact' on the NHS
Ms Regan said frontline radiography professionals believe that low wages "undermine efforts to create a stable HSC (health and social care) workforce with sufficient staffing levels to ensure that all patients receive the best treatment possible".
“Doctors and nurses cannot do their jobs without a team of radiographers, sonographers and radiography assistants – and waiting lists are growing," she said.
“New figures show that 188,881 people in Northern Ireland are now waiting for a diagnostic test – an increase of nine per cent since March 31 this year – this wait means cases become more complex and, for some patients, even a two-week delay can mean the difference between life and death."
According to the Society of Radiographers spokesperson, pay levels have been falling behind the rest of the UK, with radiographers in Scotland paid 12 per cent more than their counterparts in the north. Wage levels are also below those in the Republic, Ms Regan said.
Radiographers across England will also take fresh strike action as part of their long-running pay dispute.
They will walk out for 24 hours from 8am on October 3, alongside junior doctors and consultants who are also striking over pay.
The strikes will coincide with the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester.
