Health minister Mike 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.

‘This would restore pay parity with the percentage uplifts as recommended by pay review bodies being back dated in full to 1 April 2025.  I would expect our HSC workforce to receive their uplift and back pay in their February 2026 pay packets.

‘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.'

In response, RCN Northern Ireland executive director Professor Rita Devlin, said: ‘This has been a long and protracted process, and we welcome the confirmation that pay parity will be reinstated for our hardworking health care staff.

‘The Royal College of Nursing has consistently maintained that the loss of pay parity with colleagues across the UK was wholly unacceptable. Our members have expressed deep frustration over this issue, and we welcome the minister's commitment to ensuring the late payment of pay awards will never happen again.

‘The RCN will now examine the proposal in detail and present it to the RCN Northern Ireland Board for discussion.'

Prof Devlin added: ‘We will also be calling on the Department of Health to urgently address career progression in nursing. Far too many nursing staff remain on lower bands for years, and this must be resolved if we are to address the crisis in nursing.'

Alan Perry, GMB senior organiser, said: ‘This looks like a massive step forward for Northern Ireland's health workers to have pay parity with colleagues across Great Britain.

‘GMB will wait for more details about the before consulting with our members. But we must say it is hugely disappointing that it's taken so long to resolve this. We sincerely hope lessons have been learnt and pay will be prioritised in next year's budgeting process.'