Agenda for Change brings in tabled reforms to NHS workers’ pay today.
The reforms will benefit more than a million NHS staff and are part of the biggest job evaluation exercise ever undertaken that will see staff matched to a new pay band and get fair reward for the jobs they do.
Changes include:
- the NHS minimum wage has been increased to £5.69 an hour – a £35 per week pay boost
- the starting salary of a newly-registered nurse increases from £17,060 to £18,114 – on a par with a newly-qualified teacher, while senior nurses could earn more than £80,000 a year
- ambulance men and women receive a pay boost in the region of 10 to 20% and will now be paid, like other staff, for unsocial hours working
- all staff benefit from a 10% pay deal over three years from 2003-05; and
- all staff will benefit from the use of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework to support effective use of training and career progression through the ranks
Health Minister, John Hutton said:
“Today marks an historic occasion in the history of the NHS. For the first time in over 50 years, the jobs that NHS staff do have been reviewed and evaluated to ensure fair pay and a clear pathway for career progression.”
Hutton described Agenda for Change as a win-win situation which benefits staff and patients alike.
Most staff, however, will not see the increase in their pay packets until next summer. Hutton said the Government has invested more than £1bn in the Agenda for Change.
Related articles
