Nurses are taking on more responsibility for patient care, dealing with patients with increasingly complex co-morbidities, acting with greater autonomy, and developing specialist clinical skills.
Job descriptions for too many nurses have not been regularly updated to reflect their responsibilities, skills and knowledge.
This means nurses may be regularly performing duties above their band, without the pay and recognition. Whilst this can affect nurses at all bands, we know that this particularly affects nurses working at band 5.
UNISON is campaigning to ensure that nurses are:
- Recognised – Value nurses’ knowledge and skills; essential to the delivery of patient care
- Rewarded – Pay nurses at the right band and compensate them fairly for work they’ve done above their band
- Retained – Keep nurses’ expertise in the NHS where they are so critical
The NHS job evaluation scheme
If you think you’re not being paid fairly for the job you do, you have the right to have the banding for your job reviewed.
This has to be agreed with your line manager and you will need to jointly update your job description.
If you have colleagues doing the same job as you, you can undertake this process collectively.
I’m a band 5 nurse and I’m ready to win re-banding in UNISON! What can I do?
- Build evidence to support your re-banding. This could include asking for a copy of your job description and job matching report and filling out a UNISON monthly task diary, which you’ll find on our activist hub.
- Read the national role profiles and compare them with your role.
- Use our template letter to ask your line manager for your job description to be updated based on the requirements of your role. If you have colleagues doing the same job as you, sign our collective letter. You’ll find both on our activist hub.
- Request for your role to be re-evaluated by your local job evaluation panel if the job description has changed significantly. Consult your employer’s job evaluation policy for information on how to access the changed job review process locally.
- Speak to your local UNISON branch and your colleagues. Joining forces means you have a more powerful voice.
- Not in UNISON yet? Join today and be part of the campaign that’s winning change for nurses. And get your colleagues to join too!
NHS Scotland band 5 nurse review
As part of 2023/24 NHS pay deal, the Scottish government agreed to review all band 5 nursing posts in NHS Scotland. UNISON Scotland helped to develop a process consistent with the NHS job evaluation scheme, to make requests for reviews easier.
Nursing and midwifery job profile review
The NHS Job Evaluation Group (of which UNISON is a member) reviewed the national job matching profiles for nursing and midwifery (band 4 – 9) to ensure the profiles accurately reflect current practice, training and development.
Want to get more involved?
Visit our activist hub where you can sign up to become an activist and access all the materials you’ll need to promote the campaign where you work.
FAQs
Right band for the job
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I’m already at band 6 or above but I don’t think I’m being paid at the right band – what can I do?
We know that there are nurses at all bands who may be eligible for re-banding. If you don’t think your band accurately reflects your role, you should start by requesting a copy of your job description from your employer and see if it reflects the work you do.
Identify where your existing job description does not fully reflect your responsibilities and ask your line manager for your job description to be updated based on the requirements of your role. If your job description is changed significantly, you can request for the role to be re-evaluated by your local job evaluation panel.
Consult your employer’s job evaluation policy for information on how to access the changed job review process locally. Speak to your local UNISON branch who can assist you through the process.
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I’m not a nurse but I don’t think I’m being paid at the right band – what can I do?
Under Agenda for Change, all staff have the right to have their job reviewed under the changed job review process if their role has changed significantly. This has to be agreed with your line manager and you will need to jointly update your job description.
A job evaluation panel will use the evidence provided to match your role to a national role profile. The final score will decide whether your job remains in the same band or meets the threshold of going into the next pay band.
Find out more about the changed job review process here. Get in contact with your UNISON branch who can support you.
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What are the main differences between band 5 and band 6 nurses?
Nurses work in many different settings and have varied responsibilities, skills and knowledge so there is no definitive list of what tasks a band 6 nurse does. Job evaluation is an evidence-based process and you will need to use evidence to demonstrate why you should be banded at band 6.
However, if you are regularly carrying out some of the below tasks or responsibilities, this may indicate you should check your banding.:
- Taking charge of a ward or a clinical area in the absence of a relevant manager
- Developing and using specialist knowledge
- Assessing complex needs of patients
- Developing, implementing and evaluating specialist programmes of care for patients with complex needs/conditions
- Communicating highly complex and sensitive information
- Managing complex discharges and liaising with external agencies
- Providing specialist advice in relation to patient care