Midwife and maternity support worker members of the Royal College of Midwives have voted to accept the pay offer made by the Northern Ireland Department of Health. A consultation of members closed on Wednesday, with 86.3% voting to accept.

Karen Murray, Director of RCM Northern Ireland, said:

“First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to our members. Their resilience over the past few years has been stretched to the limit, so having a resolution will be a huge relief to them. We all want to move forward and work together to bring about the improvements to maternity services that women and families and the staff who care for them deserve.”

Karen added:

“The past few years have been difficult, and we know that staff pay – and morale – has fallen below that of other parts of the UK. Rebuilding trust will be vital as we move forward, and I look forward to working with the Minister to make that happen.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The RCM’s consultation ran from 28 February – 20 March 2024, the RCM has 1,210 members working in the HSC in Northern Ireland. 86.3% voted to accept the offer and 13.7% to reject.
2. The RCM’s decision and consultation result will be communicated to the Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA and it will be made clear that The RCM members have accepted the offer and it is therefore our position that it should be implemented.