BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee has secured a pay offer for consultants following intense pay talks with the Department of Health.  
  
Consultant members in Northern Ireland will be asked to vote on whether to accept this offer through a referendum that will run from 31 July until 21 August.  
  
The pay offer equates to 5.26% average additional uplift that will be backdated to March 2024. It is in addition to the 6% already awarded as part of the 2023/24 DDRB pay review process, and is entirely separate to the pay award following the outcome of the ongoing DDRB pay review process for 2024/25.   
  
A revised consultant pay scale is proposed, which provides higher career earnings and better starting pay.   
  
Dr David Farren, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland consultants committee, said: “After an intense negotiation process, we believe we have reached an offer that secures significant improvements in pay for consultants across their careers and is a credible and real step towards pay restoration. We will now put this offer to our members and we are encouraging them to vote yes.    
  
“This pay offer is acknowledgement of hard work and expertise these senior doctors provide. By making consultant pay in Northern Ireland more attractive and competitive, we enhance their recruitment and retention in our health service at a time of chronic workforce shortages across the UK.    
  
“However, this does not mean our efforts towards achieving full pay restoration are over. We will continue to work hard to reverse years of below inflation pay awards and to improve terms and conditions for our members. This includes closely monitoring all future DDRB pay award recommendations and subsequent actions from the Department of Health. The overwhelming mandate in favour of industrial action we received in our ballot* showed the level of frustration among consultants from years of unfair treatment over pay. Going forward, we expect to be treated fairly again with renumeration that reflects our skills and expertise.” 
  
Ends.  

Notes to editors

* In June, 92% of BMA consultants members in Northern Ireland voted YES for industrial action to achieve better pay. Following the receipt of a credible pay negotiations offer from the Department of Health, strike action planned for 7am Wednesday 26 June to 7am Thursday 27 June, was suspended in order to enter pay negotiations.