The Department of Health (DH) has now authorised the payment of the 1 April 2008 uplift to GP registrar salaries as recommended in the 2008 Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body report. The (Amendment) Directions 2008 were published on the DH website on 11 July 2008 and updated Schedules will shortly be available on NHS Employers’ pay and contracts pages. The revised pay rates are effective from 1 April 2008 and the revised mileage rates are effective from 11 July 2008. For further details email mike.beattie@nhsemployers.org.

The NHS Staff Council Executive has agreed advice on matching/evaluating orthopaedic technician jobs. See our job evaluation pages for details.

NHS Employers has responded to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's human rights inquiry, based on employers' views.  The inquiry is focusing on how public authorities are using the Human Rights Act. The Commission’s inquiry report is expected in March 2009. See the response on our equality and diversity latest news page. For more details email paul.deemer@nhsemployers.org.

Trusts who have celebrated, or are still celebrating, the 60th anniversary of the NHS can now share their photos and stories on a dedicated website. Launched as part of NHS Employers’ campaign to celebrate NHS staff for the 60 th anniversary, the website includes photo and postcard galleries and updates on our campaign. See what other trusts have been up to, read messages from politicians and celebrities and upload photos from your celebrations or details of your extraordinary staff at www.nhs60th.org.uk.

Information about the recent changes to the Sex Discrimination and Parental Leave Act 2008 is available as a fact sheet from Daycare Trust. This contains information for employees and employers about how they will be affected by the changes. Copies of the fact sheet, Employer-supported childcare and maternity leave, are available from the Daycare Trust website. A full copy of the recent changes to the Acts is available on the Office of Public Sector Information’s website.

With staff engagement a central theme of the NHS Next Stage Review, increasing emphasis on patient experience and growing evidence of the importance of good people management, NHS workforce issues have never been more important. Leading workforce thinking, NHS Employers’ annual conference and exhibition 2008, is your chance to explore how staff engagement can benefit your organisation and how workforce policies can improve the experience of patients as well as staff. Delegates will hear the latest thinking on leadership, productivity and patient safety with high profile speakers including Clare Chapman, Director General of Workforce, Department of Health and David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS in England. Book your place now at www.nhsemployers.org/2008.

To support employers with implementing the new immigration points-based system (PBS), NHS Employers is delivering two half-day seminars in partnership with the UK Border Agency. They will provide an overview of the new entry routes, the sponsorship licence system and the new role and obligations for employers. The seminars are being held on Tuesday 2 September in London and Tuesday 16 September in Leeds. Visit our events section to book your place now. Up-to-date information relating to the launch of PBS, including how to apply for a sponsorship licence, can be found on our international recruitment pages.

Last week we hosted a staff engagement event with more than 300 delegates from a wide range of NHS organisations. Our director of development, Sian Thomas, attended the Public Services Forum chaired by Minister for Transformational Government Tom Watson, where Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband gave a presentation on public service reform. We also attended a national Social Partnership Forum and a meeting at the House of Lords on health, work and wellbeing.