AQW 12971/22-27

Mr Gerry Carroll
People Before Profit Alliance
West Belfast

Tabled Date: 05/06/2024
Answered On Date: 18/06/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any offers he has made to junior doctors to help avert industrial action.

Answer:

My officials have been actively engaged with BMA representatives to seek to find an acceptable path forward. Independent arbitration has also been offered to facilitate these talks. That offer has not been taken up to date.

The 2023/24 pay award, which involves an average pay increase of 9.07% for junior doctors, will be in June pay packets. The budgetary settlement provided to my Department does not afford any scope for a pay deal which might go beyond this above-inflationary award, rather it proposes a real-terms cut of 2.3%. I shall, however, pursue any and all avenues to improve upon the financial opportunities which might be presented to my Department.

My officials have been clear in their conversations with BMA that the best route to securing additional funding is via a value for money business case supporting a modernised contract.

There has been no further movement from the Junior Doctor Committee, who have reiterated their wish for full pay restoration outside of any changes to their contract and terms and conditions.

I am of the mind that a modernised contract, which will realise better outcomes for junior doctors and employers alike, is the key to securing pay additionality, and would urge the BMA JDC to re-engage with my officials to develop contractual proposals. This would facilitate the development of an appropriate business case and a request for approval from the Department of Finance of a negotiating envelope.

Until such matters are agreed, and a broad framework of a contract sketched, it is simply not possible to commence any scoping which could then inform a bid to the Department of Finance for a formal negotiating mandate and any associated financial envelope within which pay additionality could be accommodated.

I have, however, written to invite the Chair of the BMA (NI) Council and the individual Committee Chairs to discuss the pressures we will collectively face in 2024 and beyond.

The health and wellbeing of our population remains the primary concern and I am happy to re-affirm that the door remains open to the BMA (JDC) to engage in further dialogue on these issues.