Following intense negotiations with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and employers' representatives, the Northern Ireland consultants committee has reached a pay offer that was accepted by members in a referendum.
Eligible BMA consultant members voted 94.3% (turnout 75.1%) to accept the offer, delivering a vital first step on our journey to restored pay.
Below you can find further information on all aspects of the pay offer.
Key points at a glance
- The proposed pay scale gives an uplift to all pay points
- The proposed pay scale has the highest starting salary in the UK
- The proposed pay scale maintains higher pay than England at each point
- The proposed pay scale gives the highest percentage uplift in the UK this year
- The proposed pay scale has fewer points, making it quicker to reach the top of the pay scale.
New pay scale
The consultant pay scale will be reduced from eight points to five. The new 5 point pay scale begins at £100,400, the highest starting consultant salary in the UK. The top of the scale will be £132,000, reached by year 15, rather than year 20, as was previously the case. No changes have been made to the pay progression process.
| Year | New point | 5.26% Offer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | £100,400 |
| 2 | 1 | £100,400 |
| 3 | 1 | £100,400 |
| 4 | 2 | £105,400 |
| 5 | 3 | £108,400 |
| 6 | 3 | £108,400 |
| 7 | 3 | £108,400 |
| 8 | 3 | £108,400 |
| 9 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 10 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 11 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 12 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 13 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 14 | 4 | £118,900 |
| 15 | 5 | £132,000 |
| 16 | 5 | £132,000 |
| 17 | 5 | £132,000 |
| 18 | 5 | £132,000 |
| 19 | 5 | £132,000 |
| 20 | 5 | £132,000 |
Some consultants will see in-year pay uplifts as much as 12.3% as a result of the deal, on top of increased future earnings all consultants will see some uplift as a result of the deal. The average uplift as a result of the deal is 5.26% which will be backdated to March 2024.
In-year uplifts
The new scale increases career earnings for most consultants as well as providing everyone with some additional in-year uplift. The below table and graph show existing pay points and their new equivalent pay points, as well as the increase seen.
Some consultants will see in-year pay uplifts as much as 12.3% as a result of the deal, with an average uplift of 5.26%. This is in addition to the 6% already awarded as part of the pay review process for 2023/24 with the 2024/25 pay review process yet to be completed but will be in addition to this.
| Year | Old point | 2023/24 Pay | New point | New pay offer | 2023/24 change | 2023/24 % uplift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | £94,127 | 1 | £100,400 | £6,273 | 6.66% |
| 2 | 2 | £97,076 | 1 | £100,400 | £3,324 | 3.42% |
| 3 | 3 | £100,024 | 1 | £100,400 | £376 | 0.38% |
| 4 | 4 | £102,970 | 2 | £105,400 | £2,430 | 2.36% |
| 5 | 5 | £105,908 | 3 | £108,400 | £2,492 | 2.35% |
| 6 | 5 | £105,908 | 3 | £108,400 | £2,492 | 2.35% |
| 7 | 5 | £105,908 | 3 | £108,400 | £2,492 | 2.35% |
| 8 | 5 | £105,908 | 3 | £108,400 | £2,492 | 2.35% |
| 9 | 5 | £105,908 | 4 | £118,900 | £12,992 | 12.27% |
| 10 | 6 | £112,912 | 4 | £118,900 | £5,988 | 5.30% |
| 11 | 6 | £112,912 | 4 | £118,900 | £5,988 | 5.30% |
| 12 | 6 | £112,912 | 4 | £118,900 | £5,988 | 5.30% |
| 13 | 6 | £112,912 | 4 | £118,900 | £5,988 | 5.30% |
| 14 | 6 | £112,912 | 4 | £118,900 | £5,988 | 5.30% |
| 15 | 7 | £119,912 | 5 | £132,000 | £12,088 | 10.08% |
| 16 | 7 | £119,912 | 5 | £132,000 | £12,088 | 10.08% |
| 17 | 7 | £119,912 | 5 | £132,000 | £12,088 | 10.08% |
| 18 | 7 | £119,912 | 5 | £132,000 | £12,088 | 10.08% |
| 19 | 7 | £119,912 | 5 | £132,000 | £12,088 | 10.08% |
| 20 | 8 | £126,907 | 5 | £132,000 | £5,093 | 4.01% |
DDRB reforms
The BMA has longstanding concerns about the effectiveness and independence of the DDRB, the pay review body responsible for reviewing doctors' pay and recommending annual uplifts. In addition to the reforms secured by our colleagues in the UK consultants committee, we have secured the following reforms to the DDRB process in Northern Ireland. These reforms ensure the actions of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland keep pace with the wider reforms to the DDRB terms of reference enacted by UK Government.
- Each branch of practice in the BMA will decide if they want to submit evidence to the 2025/2026 DDRB process.
- Support for all changes to the pay review process agreed as part of the England Consultants pay deal in April 2024.
- The Department commits that its remit letters shall not include any information in regard to inflation, economic performance or wider financial pressures; these shall, where appropriate, be addressed via the Department’s written and oral evidence;
- The Department will participate in the review process in a timely manner in accordance with the timelines set out by the DDRB.
- The Department undertakes to implement the recommendations of the DDRB as rapidly as local processes allow upon publication.
Other elements of deal
- We will withdraw the consultant rate card if the offer is accepted. We maintain the right to reintroduce the rate card if a new industrial dispute is declared in the future.
- The Department of Health will amend the Consultant (NI) Terms and Conditions of Service (2004) to include consultants’ right to shared parental leave in line with all other staff groups in the HSC.
- HSC employers undertake to work at pace to ensure that employer contribution recycling and the new regulations are enacted in a timely manner to enable those consultants who would benefit from these developments to take advantage of them. HSC Employers will endeavour to have agreed regional policies in place for use by 30 September 2024.
- The Department of Health has consulted on a new Clinical Excellence Award scheme, the findings of which are currently being collated. When implemented, the scheme will continue to promote excellence for those applying for awards.
Still have question on the pay offer?
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