Latest News
On this page, you can find the latest news on Agenda for Change.
Overview
Agenda for Change applies to over one million NHS staff with the exception of doctors, dentists and the most senior managers. This section includes key Agenda for Change documents and links to advice and resources on implementing the new system.
What is Agenda for Change?
The new pay system ensures fair pay and a clearer system for career progression. For the first time staff are now paid on the basis of the jobs they are doing and the skills and knowledge they apply to these jobs. This reform is underpinned by a job evaluation scheme specifically designed for the NHS.
Pay rates
Current Agenda for Change pay rates can be found here.
Job Evaluation
Job Evaluation is a major component of the Agenda for Change agreement. The process of matching jobs to national profiles, or evaluating jobs locally, as outlined in the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook determines in which pay band a post should sit.
National job profiles
The NHS Job Evaluation Scheme makes provision for most NHS jobs to be matched to nationally evaluated profiles on the basis of information from job descriptions, person specifications and additional information. National job profiles additionally provide a framework against which to check the consistency of local evaluations.
Knowledge and Skills Framework
The Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) is a key part of the NHS Agenda for Change pay system. It applies to all staff employed on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.
Benefits
Information, advice and resources to help trusts develop opportunities for service improvement and deliver other benefits of implementing Agenda for Change.
FAQs: terms and conditions
The Agenda for Change partners will make every effort to continue to support, encourage and promote a partnership approach to implementation of the new pay system at local level.
Trainees under Agenda for Change
This guidance on the handling of Trainee posts has been amended to reflect the publication of agreed arrangements for the remuneration of non-medical public health trainees.
AfC and soft facilities contracts
In October 2005, NHS Employers endorsed a joint statement with the Department of Health, trade unions and representatives of private contractors that aims to give soft facilities management staff (for example porters and cleaners) pay and conditions equivalent to Agenda for Change.
Workforce planning
Agenda for Change has provided organisations with powerful tools and data that have clear applications in workforce and business planning. This section provides information, tools and advice on how the distribution of staff on pay bands or KSF dimensions and levels can be used as part of these planning processes.
Equal pay
Currently more than 13,700 claims have been lodged with employment tribunals for equal pay. Over half of the claims specifically challenge Agenda for Change under the Sex Discrimination Act. NHS Employers, together with the Secretary of State, NHS trades unions and local NHS employers, has been named as a party to the Sex Discrimination challenge.
Unsocial hours payments
Following a consultation with members, the trade unions have accepted a new system for unsocial hours payments.
Recruitment and Retention Payments
The Newcastle employment tribunal (Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust v Philpott and others) has found that the national recruitment and retention premium for maintenance craft workers with full electrical, plumbing, mechanical craft qualifications is a contractual entitlement under the Agenda for Change agreement.
Guidance on mileage allowances
A joint sub-group of the NHS Staff Council is reviewing NHS mileage allowances. Nationally agreed mileage rates in Section 17 and Annex L of the Handbook and paragraphs 277 to 304 of the Hospital Medical and Dental Staff and Doctors in Public Health Medicine and the Community Health Service Terms and Conditions of Service and Section 21 of the Term
