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Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said his department was "working in good faith" and would continue discussions "within the regrettable financial constraints" it faces. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, social worker Damien Maguire said "there always seems to be an annual drama when it comes to health service pay". "For myself and many health workers it really feels like Groundhog Day," Mr Maguire said. "This public performance – it feels like it's not going to help in public sector workers and healthcare workers having confidence that this pay issue is going to be resolved. "It only creates a bit of apathy, it makes us feel like we're of no real importance." Healthcare worker Steven McFall said morale in the health service is "so low" and he is seeing the number of people applying for jobs go down significantly in recent years. "It's going to be really hard to recruit and retain with this pay level," he told Good Morning Ulster. On the issue of pay not being backdated, Mr McFall said it "feels like a false promise". "I'd rather have no promise than a false promise."
