17 November 2025
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said the Health Minister must live up to his promise to pay care workers the Real Living Wage.
Social care workers have not been included in the recent pay uplift for health staff.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“There is real anger among our care workers following confirmation that the Minister has excluded them from the recent pay uplift for health staff. Care workers have been repeatedly promised the Real Living Wage by the Minister and it’s absolutely wrong that he has rolled back on his commitment to our lowest paid health workers.
“Care workers play a key role in our health service in often very difficult conditions. We rely on them to look after old and vulnerable people at all hours of the day and night and they often go above and beyond to provide compassionate care. The care they provide allows people to live at home for longer or to be quickly discharged from hospital and without them the system would grind to a halt. The Minister has repeatedly stressed the importance of the Hospital at Home agenda, but that needs to include valuing staff and treating them with respect.
“We cannot keep asking for more from our staff and expect them to get by on less and less. This is the latest in a long line of decisions from the Minister and his department that has let staff down. Given the state of our health service and the significant budget challenges people will be rightly wondering what’s next?”