Health Minister Mike Nesbitt confirms pay parity for Northern Ireland health staff

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced that the Northern Ireland Executive has approved his plan to restore pay parity for health service staff, bringing their pay levels back in line with colleagues across the UK.

In a statement today, Mr Nesbitt said:

“The Executive has today given me approval to deliver pay parity for health service staff, which was our original intention and what unions and professional bodies have been asking for and is their right.”

The Minister confirmed that the move would see percentage uplifts recommended by the pay review bodies applied in full and backdated to 1 April 2025. He said he expected Health and Social Care (HSC) workers to receive their uplift and back pay in their February 2026 pay packets.

Mr Nesbitt also committed to ensuring that future pay awards will be handled on time.

“In addition, and to ensure that issue of late payment of pay awards will never happen again, I can confirm that as Health Minister I am committed to ensuring future pay awards are prioritised in my budget allocation at the start of the financial year and adjusted as necessary to ensure parity.”

The announcement has been welcomed by Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA, who described it as an important recognition of the dedication of health workers across Northern Ireland.

Mr Chambers said:

“This announcement represents an important step forward in once again recognising the dedication of our health workers and ensuring they receive the overdue remuneration and parity in pay they deserve.

“It has been a long and, I’m sure an often frustrating journey for all concerned, but I am very pleased that the Health Minister has now been able to secure the Executive’s agreement to allow him to deliver this year’s pay award. I’m also very pleased that the Minister has confirmed the award will be backdated in full to 1 April 2025.”

He added that the decision was not only fair but essential for the long-term stability of the health system.

“Ensuring our health staff receive their full pay entitlement is not only the right decision, but also essential for morale, retention and the sustainability of our health service.

“Despite the unprecedented pressures on the health budget, I commend the Minister for convincing Executive colleagues of the need to allow him to move forward on this critical issue.”

The move marks a significant step toward restoring trust and fairness within Northern Ireland’s health service workforce after years of pay disparity and delays in implementing agreed awards.