The Department of Health has confirmed the latest Northern Ireland pay offer covers doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff but excludes homecare workers employed in the independent sector because funding to deliver the Real Living Wage was not provided. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt described the omission as "disappointing" and said he will prioritise RLW funding in planning for 2026/27, after approving £200m towards this year’s pay deal and gaining Executive agreement for a £100m overspend. SDLP MLA Colin McGrath warned the decision risks creating a two-tier system and urged a prompt resolution for frontline care staff.
Homecare Workers Excluded from Northern Ireland Pay Offer — Minister Pledges Future Real Living Wage Funding
The Department of Health has confirmed the latest Northern Ireland pay offer covers doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff but excludes homecare workers employed in the independent sector because funding to deliver the Real Living Wage was not provided. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt described the omission as "disappointing" and said he will prioritise RLW funding in planning for 2026/27, after approving £200m towards this year’s pay deal and gaining Executive agreement for a £100m overspend. SDLP MLA Colin McGrath warned the decision risks creating a two-tier system and urged a prompt resolution for frontline care staff.
01:03 AM, 11/15/2025Politics
Some homecare staff left out of latest Northern Ireland health pay package
The Department of Health has confirmed that last week's pay offer for Northern Ireland healthcare workers does not extend to homecare staff employed by the independent sector because funding to guarantee the Real Living Wage (RLW) for those workers was not provided.
The package — proposed to help avert industrial action — covers doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff but stops short of a formal direction to ensure the RLW for independent-sector homecare employees. Many of these workers provide personal care in people’s own homes and in care homes, often under contracts with health trusts.
Funding and budget position
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt confirmed he secured approval from the Northern Ireland Executive to bring pay broadly into line with colleagues elsewhere in the UK. In May he approved £200m towards this year's pay deal, and the Executive has allowed the Department of Health to overspend its budget by £100m to meet pay-related pressures.
However, Nesbitt said the specific funding required to deliver the Real Living Wage across the independent sector was not available within current constraints. He described the omission as "disappointing" and pledged to prioritise funding for the RLW when it becomes affordable.
Mike Nesbitt: "This will be a priority for me in the planning of our expenditure for the financial year 2026/27. As and when this uplift is possible it will be my intention to ensure that the funding is ring-fenced, allocated transparently and with clear timing."
Concerns from politicians and sector groups
SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said he was "absolutely disappointed" and warned the omission risks creating a two-tier system where staff employed directly by trusts receive slightly higher pay than those in the independent sector. He urged the minister to find a resolution for workers who deliver essential support to an ageing population.
The department and minister say they remain committed to recognising the vital role of social care professionals and aim to address the shortfall as soon as fiscal conditions allow.
What happens next: Nesbitt intends to prioritise RLW funding in the 2026/27 budget planning and to ring-fence any future uplifts so that the timing and allocation are clear.