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Press release: NHS Employers responds to three year pay award for NHS staff

07 Apr 2008

Heather Lawrence, lead negotiator for NHS Employers and Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

'We are pleased that we have reached agreement with Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the Department of Health on proposals for a three-year pay deal for staff on Agenda for Change pay bands. 

'A longer term pay agreement is a significant achievement which will help to create a climate of stability for both employers and staff.  It will help employers with service and financial planning and will remove the element of doubt from staff about the level of forthcoming pay awards.'

Recommendations on pay for doctors and dentists have also been accepted by the Government.

Gill Bellord, director of pay, pensions and employment relations at NHS Employers said:

'As a next step NHS Employers will issue a pay circular to enable NHS organisations to make payment to their doctors and dentists. 

'Pay circulars for staff on Agenda for Change will follow once the unions have consulted on the proposals with their members.'

Notes for editors

The proposal includes the following for staff on Agenda for Change:

* acceptance in full of the 2008/09 NHS Pay Review Body's recommendations for a 2.75 per cent pay rise for nurses and other healthcare professionals from 1 April 2008;
* 2.4% headline award in 2009/10;
* 2.25% headline award in 2010/11;
* additional changes to the pay structure in Years 2 and 3 that would give extra financial support for the lowest paid workers, allow quicker progression up the pay ladder and increase the earning potential for hundreds of thousands of staff.

The Government has also accepted the Doctors and Dentists' Review Body's recommendations on pay for doctors in the consultant grade, associate specialists, the new specialty doctor grade, salaried GPs, doctors in training and on pay for GPs.  These are:

* 2.2% increase for hospital doctors and hospital doctors and dentists in training
* 3.4% increase in the gross earnings base for general dental practitioners (GDPs)
* increasing payments to GP practices for providing core services ¬- known as the Global Sum - by 2.7%
* no increase in the protected income that most GP practices receive.  This means that overall impact of the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review body is estimated as a 0.2% average increase in global sum payments to GP practices. It will allow the NHS to invest the up to 1.5% guaranteed for primary care for 2008/09 in new patient services.

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Georgina Vincent
  0207 074 3308 or georgina.vincent@nhsemployers.org
• Emma Robinson
  0207 074 3307 or emma.robinson@nhsemployers.org

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

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