Nurses, doctors threatening strike over delayed salary increases
Reports are emerging that some healthcare workers at the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) are threatening industrial action over long-promised salary increases, raising fears of potential disruption to healthcare services if the matter is not resolved quickly.
The reports were publicly confirmed by Talking Points host Damion Grange, a senior employee of the BVIHSA, during a recent interview with Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley. Speaking to the Premier, Grange said the salary issue had become a major source of public frustration and distrust.
“Let’s look at the hospital where nurses and doctors are about to strike because of a salary increase,” Grange said, adding that many residents believe politicians have prioritised improving their own compensation while public servants continue waiting for promised increases.
In response, Premier Wheatley said he had met with nurses, particularly those in the Primary Health Division, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increasing salaries across the Health Services Authority. However, he explained that the raises cannot be implemented until reforms are first made to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Scheme.
According to the Premier, government is working to replace the HSA’s current global budget arrangement with an alliance agreement that would see the authority paid based on the services it provides through the National Health Insurance (NHI) system.
He warned, however, that such a move can only be made after broader reforms are introduced into the system. The Premier said government is awaiting the results of an actuarial study before taking proposed amendments to Cabinet, including possible changes to NHI co-payments to ensure the system remains financially sustainable.
Pressed by Grange on whether healthcare workers should expect salary adjustments by August, the Premier declined to give a timeline but insisted the matter is being treated as a priority.
“I have provided no timeline except to say it needs to be urgently done,” Dr Wheatley said, adding that he has instructed officials to move the required studies and legislative amendments forward “right away.”
Addressing healthcare workers directly, the Premier sought to reassure them that the government remains committed to honouring its promise.
“We’re gonna get it done for you,” Dr Wheatley said. “I recognise the dire situation where a lot of the healthcare workers are in. We empathise with them, and I’m pushing everybody as quickly as possible.”
Copyright 2026 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Treated as a priority.
The words of death for anything here.
No increases are coming then.
Looks like they should strike.
The island needs to stop laying down and allowing these elites to reward themselves.
Pensioners needs an increase. Imagine I retire ten years and my pension is still $1400.00 per month and I am not yet sixty five. Good God man. You all full your pockets with the greedy bill , the nerves of you all. We need to take to the streets on this one now. The Premier need to stop playing with people’s minds and lives. We worked, we need to be compensated accordingly. Be fair for once.
Asking a wolf to be fair for once? lol
Walk out and strike. You have to take action. Once you show them you mean business I bet they will give you what you are asking for.
Exactly,walk out for at least a day on strike and see how fast the problem will get solved. Those Doctors and Nurses walk out, the Island will be doomed. And there is not a damn thing y’all can do to those Doctors and Nurses if they walk out.Treat your employees well and you will get good results. Treat you employees bad and you will get shitty service and who pays the price? The customers.
They could be replaced..sooner or later…one reason or another will materialize.
Would you like to be replaced because you stood up for yourself? Wouldn’t you want to be treated fairly?
NHI must cover a higher percentage at public clinics and hospitals, such as 90%, and a lower percentage at private clinics, such as 70%. Since NHI is mandatory, it should not continue to support high private healthcare prices without also strengthening the public healthcare system. This structure would help control private costs, reduce the burden on patients, and force greater investment and improvement in public healthcare services.
styler: And the dam nhi doesn’t worth s**t. You can’t even go St Thomas with it. First thing they burst you we don’t tek dat. St Thomas run that nhi man from down there only the bvi picks up s**t and called it gold.
It’s a waste of time and you have to go where they send you. Any body in there right mind in this day and age have a proper insurance try hold on to it and run for your life from this nhi. I blame the NDP for screwing us up with this s**t.
To the persons truly serious about striking, be careful. Some only talk the talk and are MIA when its time to walk. They only want to use the strong to push and act.
And most importantly, be very, very careful who you have speaking for you or acting as the “strike leader”. Next thing its promotion and salary increase for them, nothing for you and everything goes quiet.
NHI must cover a higher percentage at public clinics and hospitals, such as 90%, and a lower percentage at private clinics, such as 70%. Since NHI is mandatory, it should not continue to support high private healthcare prices without also strengthening the public healthcare system. This structure would help control private costs, reduce the burden on patients, and force greater investment and improvement in public healthcare services…
What is the retirement age?If you have been retired 10 years and not yet 65 , does the government allow retirement at 50. I am just curious.
Clearly u dont know the government structure. Do ur research
Yes I dont know the government structure some people are empolyed in the private sector. And why so sensitive ? Its a legitimate questiion. 4 likes and yet no one answers the question . smh
This is not good news at all. Receiving treatment from individuals who complaining about money is not ideal.
Government was warned but carried on regardless to make friends & family fortunes with no regard for the health or wealth of the nation whom they per port to represent.
I sick of this gov they want to prioritize tourism, yet don’t even have a proper infrastructure if a tourist get critically sick or injured while on land/sea. they think they got enough money to fly out their loved ones for proper care like time is on their side. pay these essential workers.
Don’t speak it do it!!!! Strike for all of us! The wickedness and thief in this place must stop!
Am Sorry But I Have To Ask The Question. Can”t You all See That Something Is Wrong With This Place? How Can You All Continue To Complain Year After Year And Still When The Time Comes To The Dam Problem You All Will Still Do The Same EFF And Start Complaining All Over Again. Don’t You By Now Realize That It’s The Stupid BVI People The Problem? I Know I Will get Know Up For My Comment But Ah Mean How Dumb Can One Be? Do You See or Hear Anything Being Done To Fix NHI? And Why Do You Think That’s Not Happening? Can”t You All See That This Government Seems Not To Be For The Large Majority Of Residents Of The Territory But Only About Self, Family And Friends? Don’t Forget Partying Too Is Of High Priority. There Is NO Concern about the Daily Struggles Many people In This territory Have To Go Through On A regular Basis. It Would Take All Day And Then Some To List ALL. But Who Cares? So What Really Is Politics All About? Again, I Am Blaming YOU, The People Who Continue To Do Assishness And get The Same Results Over And Over. Don’T You All Listen To Other Countries Begging Their Citizens To Change Their Ways Or Bear The Consequences? Why Should The Innocent Have To Suffer Along With The Foolish? Everyone Is Crying Out For Justice But Nobody Cares A Dam. When The Basic Priorities Of A Country Is Not Met, The Country is deemed As A Deteriorated Country And That Is Just What We Have Allowed For BVI. You Give people A Chance And When They Mess Up We Are Still Allowing Them Chance After Chance To Continue To Mess Up. people Of The BVI needs To Come To Their Senses And Stop The Madness In This Place. We Criticise The UK For Everything But If In 2022, The UK Had taken Over This territory, By 2026 or Before, We Would Have Been in A Much Better Condition As We Are Today. People Of The BVI, STOP The Madness And Stop Proving To Other Nations That We Are A Stupid people. The Majority Can NEVER Be Happy With Such Madness. Ah Waiting. Meh Backbone Is Like The Skin Of An Old Wife.
The highest paid always want more. What about the peasants? *sigh*
The Premier just wasted money on an ineffective Advisor and a party Long Look no one attended. Can’t make this up. VIP knows how to squander money on things that brings no residual value. Invest into the people who needs it. Like staff, civil servants, pensioners, home owners, education, infrastructure, tourism, technology.
Premier l**s a lot.. and when you ask for help he does not help only who he wants.
M & M. Marlon and Mitch. In 2022 when They Didn’t Understand Their Jobs They Hopped Over To Join The Remnants of VIP To Form So-Called Unity Government. The In 2023 The Spree mare Told Them Thanks, But We can Take It From Here. Marlon and Mitch Didn”t Know Their Job back Then As was Said By The Late Mr. Carl Dawson. Back Then They would Have Retained Their Positions And The UK Would Have Assemble a Committee To Work With Them Until Such Time They Saw It Fit To Hand back The BVI Hopefully To A better Style Of Politics. Yes, We Would Have Been In A Different But Better Position And Would Not Be in This Quandry We Are In Today.
It was NOT the Premier that told M & M that they was no longer needed as you stated, it was the voters that did that. The Unity Government was not mandated by the UK and was a premature misstep by panicked individuals . The Territory would have been much worse had that cabel of ego being allowe to continue.
Easy solution. Get rid of PM, JS, that Jamaican boy, JH and watch how quick things are going to improve at the BVIHSA. ES and KC were the best Directors the BVIHSA ever had.
Go on strike if it is only for a day. Let them see you mean business. Don’t allow them to hoodwinked you with the sweet talk and empty promises. DON’ t give in until your demands are met. STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE. Shut the Health Care System down for a day or two.
Why is he tagging the NHI scheme with the health workers raise? Why wasn’t their interest tagged to their performance?
Not only does doctors and nurses need raises the whole Organization does look at the amount of BVIHSA workers having to work 2 n 3 jobs to make ends meet . A janitor in central government makes more than a ward clerk , a solid waste road side cleaner makes more than an Admission and Discharge officer , is that not sick!! These people put their lives on the line also and worked during Covid when most of the territory was at home feet up and still being paid. It is time the whole BVI rally around the workers of BVIHSA and force Government hand to give these people what they rightfully deserve!
You See That’s It. Nobody Should Force any Dignified Government To Do What Is Humanly Right By The People. They Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves. Then Again, They Have No Shame. They have No Empathy For The People. They Only Care About Themselves. These Players need To Be Taught A Lesson. Send Them Packing And let The Authentic Leaders Of This territory Step Forward. It Is Very Sad That We Have No Opposition Presently. I Want To Agree That ALL 13 Must Go But I Think The Real Culprits Only Amount To 7. 7 Of The 13 Need To Go Home. Some Are Already At retirement Age And Some Are Just unqualified.
Th endless parties and Vybz Kartel ot their monies, along with salary increase for HOA members and greedy bill, but to pay the the people who keep this nation alive , natalio will be bull $hi++ing the people.
Just another way of saying they will not get a salary increase.
Another sick out?
They only just had one.
No wonder they’re killing the people and then making small $100 deal with the tabloid funeral home.
Well…Vincent the premier make you look bad. You said you were working on an increase for the hospital and yo did that publicy…and now the premier said he doesn’t known about any increase for for bvihsa. Lies on lies wow.