AQW 17802/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 07/11/2024
Answered On Date: 19/11/2024
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health why the pay rise to health service workers, due in April 2024, has not yet been paid.

Answer:

Ahead of the NI Executive monitoring round, my Department was faced with a budget deficit in terms of available funding to meet the cost of maintaining core health and social care services at current levels.

Despite an unprecedented level of savings of £200m implemented across HSC, the allocation of £350m in October monitoring, while welcome, has still left a funding gap of £100m to meet service pressures and pay uplifts.

Last week I met with Trade Unions representing Agenda for Change health staff and firm proposals on a pay deal have been put to them, which they will now consider. It is important to recognise that further work still needs to be undertaken in order to reach a resolution to the issue of health service pay. It is also important to recognise that the challenges facing public sector pay in general will only be resolved through an all-executive approach.