2018 contract refresh

The NHS Staff Council reached agreement in 2018 on reform of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change), resulting in a three-year pay deal, as well as reform of the pay structure and changes to terms and conditions.

The new pay structure:

• increases starting salaries
• reduces the number of pay points
• shortens the amount of time it takes to reach the top of the pay band for most staff.

1 April 2019 marked the start of the second year of the deal. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service handbook has been updated to reflect the latest changes agreed by the NHS Staff Council. The Staff Council has also published an at a glance document to help understand what is happening to pay in year two of the deal. 

A number of resources were published in 2018 in order to help people understand the deal, these are available below:

• factsheet on the deal
• infographic to help understand the pay resources
• guidance on how to read the pay scales
• next steps organisations will need to take
• A checklist to help prepare for implementation of the new terms and conditions.