Debate contribution: Resident Doctors: Strike Action
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 29 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Resident Doctors: Strike Action
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5644890
Read the official Assembly record
Text
No, I do not agree that the matter is down to me. When I came into post, the pay regime that was in place was clear: two independent bodies make recommendations on pay awards, one of which is for doctors and dentists, the other being for everybody else working in Health and Social Care (HSC). We were recommended a pay rise of 3·5% for doctors and dentists. I am happy to pay that once I have a budget. In fact, unlike previous Ministers and unlike in previous years, I made it clear that, as soon as I have a budget, the first thing that I will do, as the number-one priority, is to make the pay awards. That remains the case. That will have implications for service delivery, which the permanent secretary and I have agreed that we will simply have to deal with after we make the pay awards. To go beyond the 3·5% that the three groups of doctors have rejected as inadequate is not in my gift. If I did so, it would be repercussive across the public sector, which the Member well knows.
187 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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