Nurses in Northern Ireland have said they feel “deeply undervalued” following a below inflation pay award of 3.3%.

The UK Government said over 1.4 million NHS workers will receive the payrise from April after recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body.

This is below the current rate of inflation at 3.75%, but the Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this will become a real terms pay rise as inflation is forecast to drop to 2.2%.

While Mr Streeting promised this will be in pay packets from April, doubt remains in Northern Ireland as the Stormont Executive has yet to agree its budget.

Professor Rita Devlin, the Royal College of Nursing’s Executive Director in Northern Ireland, called the award “very disappointing for members” and that it would remain a pay cut without “a significant drop” in inflation.

“This year, across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, unions were led to expect direct negotiations with the government over this award.

“However, this hasn’t happened and we are left, once again, with the Pay Review Body recommendation. The RCN, alongside most other unions, withdrew from the Pay Review Body in 2025 as we do not consider it fit for purpose, and it continues to fail nursing staff.”

She said nursing staff in Northern Ireland were “once again” being left without any certainty as to when they would receive the increase.

“The Minister has stated his intention to act once a budget is agreed, but this cannot be an open‑ended promise and must be resolved urgently,” she said.

“It is indefensible that the absence of a Northern Ireland budget is blocking hardworking nursing staff from receiving the pay they are owed.”

Warning that nursing staff “will not accept being left at the very bottom of the queue,” she said that low pay and working conditions were driving nurses out of the profession.

“Morale is at an all‑time low and nursing staff, who already feel deeply undervalued, are leaving. We must address these issues if we are to deliver safe care to the people of Northern Ireland.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham commented: “It beggars belief that a Labour Government should seek to ride roughshod over the health unions when deciding on NHS pay. For too long, NHS workers have been overworked, under paid and under valued.

“Today’s announcement will simply increase the problems of low pay that has seen thousands of healthcare workers leave, worsening the recruitment and retention crisis in our NHS”