Speaking following the announcement, the North Belfast MLA said: "I am delighted that healthcare workers have finally received confirmation that they will be getting their pay award for this year.

"I also welcome the Health Minister's commitment to prioritising pay awards within his budget at the beginning of the financial year - this is something Alliance has repeatedly emphasised as being crucial to ensuring healthcare workers get their pay uplifts as soon as possible.

"Unfortunately, the saga around pay this year has again eroded the confidence of the healthcare workforce with false starts and a lack of clarity continuing for months on end.”