Healthcare workers promised phased salary increases

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has promised phased salary increases for healthcare workers at the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) in 2027, saying his government will address compensation as part of measures to recruit and retain medical professionals.

Delivering the 2027 Budget Address yesterday, Dr Wheatley said healthcare workers had gone too long without improvements to their pay packages.

“For far too long, our healthcare workers have gone without an uplift to their compensation package. In 2027, we will correct that with a phased, financially sustainable salary adjustment that will support the recruitment and retention of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals,” Premier Wheatley stated.

“We must give those who care for us stronger reasons to build their future in the Virgin Islands,” he added.

The Premier did not specify the size of the increases, when payments would begin or the timetable for each phase in his address.

The commitment follows a compensation review and job reclassification exercise. The BVIHSA previously contracted Ernst & Young Cayman Ltd to examine up to 100 roles and compare compensation across five to eight similar healthcare institutions.

Health Minister Vincent Wheatley later said that full implementation of the review’s recommendations would cost approximately $10.3 million annually. He said the government had received the report on December 19, 2025, after a previous budget had passed, and officials were discussing how to finance the increases sustainably.

In his budget address yesterday, the Premier also outlined changes to how the authority would receive payment for healthcare services.

He said the government would implement the alliance agreement and move the BVIHSA from a global budget to a fee-for-service structure, with the authority billing National Health Insurance directly.

“This means that the Health Services Authority will be properly compensated for the services provided to its customers through direct billing to the National Health Insurance, allowing for a viable means of financing their operations,” Dr Wheatley stated.

He said the National Health Strategic Plan 2027–2036 would strengthen annual delivery and coordination between the Ministry of Health, the authority and National Health Insurance.