The department of health's acceptance of the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendations for 2024/25 will mean members in Northern Ireland will receive backpay in the March payroll.
The Westminster government announced in July it would accept the PRB recommendation in full for NHS staff in England but until now there was no pay award for Health and Social Care (HSC) staff in Northern Ireland.
Following a number of meetings with health unions over the last month the department of health has committed to funding the award.
This award will bring pay parity to members in Northern Ireland with the NHS in England with a rise of 5.5 per cent for 2024/25.
The department of health will provide the money for backpay to June which will appear in the March payroll. The remaining two months (April and May 2024) are guaranteed but will come later due to financial constraints facing the department.
Claire Ronald, senior negotiating officer for the CSP in Northern Ireland, said:
It is a great relief that at the end of the year we finally have a pay award for 2024/25 for HSC staff in Northern Ireland. Our members should not have had to wait so long for this award, which will bring pay parity with the rest of the UK.
'Along with other health unions we have been pushing for this award throughout the latter half of the year. While members should not have had to wait until December, we welcome this announcement which takes the prospect of industrial action off the table.
'Since pay review bodies are a form of "arbitration", resulting in an award rather than an offer, we are not consulting on acceptance. However, we will still be inviting members to tell us their views. This will let us best represent your interests regarding pay, terms and conditions. We will open that consultation in the new year.'
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