NHS Staff Council
The NHS Staff Council has responsibility for the Agenda for Change pay system and has representatives from both employers and trade unions.
The Staff Council's remit includes:
- maintaining the Agenda for Change pay system
- negotiating any changes in core conditions for staff on Agenda for Change and reflecting these in the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook
- providing national support on interpreting the national agreement for employers and trade unions.
Joint referrals
Where local partnerships are unable to agree an interpretation of the NHS terms and conditions of service, parties are able to submit a joint referral to the NHS Staff Council seeking clarity. These can be made to the joint NHS Staff Council secretaries via the NHS Staff Council secretariat. Referrals must be made in partnership (employer and trade union) in order for the NHS Staff Council to be able to give a view.
Meeting dates of the Staff Council Executive
- Wednesday, 10 May 2023
- Wednesday, 5 July 2023
- Monday, 25 September 2023 plenary
- Wednesday, 8 November 2023
- Wednesday, 24 January 2024
NHS Staff Council Executive members
The English employers side of the executive committee of the NHS Staff Council is chaired by Jon Lenney, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development, Manchester Local Care Organisation.
The Scottish government, Health and Community Care, Welsh assembly government and The Department of Health and Social Care, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland) are also represented.
NHS Staff Council documentation
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group (HSWG)
The NHS Staff Council’s HSWG was established to:
- raise standards of workplace health, safety and wellbeing in healthcare organisations
- promote a safer working environment for all healthcare staff
- promote best practice across the NHS and independent sector.
Membership of the partnership group is made up of NHS Employers representatives, nominated representatives from within the NHS and trade union representatives.
Please note the HSWG will be reviewing some of the key guidance, including:
- The importance of effective partnership working on health, safety and wellbeing (pdf)
- Workplace health and safety standards (pdf)
- Back in work part 1 - Introduction and key messages (pdf)
- Back in work part 2 - staff guide (pdf)
- Back in work part 3 - line manager guide (pdf)
- Back in work part 4 - safety reps guide (pdf)
- Back in work part 5 - workplace and individual assessment tool (pdf)
- Back in work part 6 - further information and quick links (pdf)
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group (EDIG)
The EDIG is a national technical group of the NHS Staff Council and works to deliver the equality agenda. The EDIG works in partnership and prepares an annual work programme which is agreed by the executive of the NHS Staff Council. The group comprises of employer representatives from across the NHS and health care.
The Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland) are also represented on the EDIG.
The Job Evaluation Group (JEG)
The NHS Staff Council's Job Evaluation Group (JEG) provides expert advice, information and training for employers on the implementation of the NHS job evaluation scheme and is responsible for producing the NHS job evaluation handbook.
The NHS job evaluation scheme measures the skills, responsibilities and effort required for a job, and allocates it to an Agenda for Change pay band. This is achieved by matching jobs to national job profiles or evaluating jobs locally, to set the basic pay for staff.