- Conference
- 2024 National Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 28 March 2024
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that on 11th January 2024 the Department for Health and Social Care published a consultation “to consider the benefits and challenges of a separate pay spine for nursing staff, and to explore other potential approaches to supporting the career progression and professional development of nurses.”
The consultation, which covers England only, put forward two options: one where nursing staff would continue to be covered by Agenda for Change and the current job evaluation system but would have a different pay spine; and one where nursing staff would be removed from Agenda for Change and have different and separate terms and conditions, pay and bargaining structures.
The consultation invited responses from organisations and individuals to a range of questions with a closing date of 4 April 2024. A government response is now awaited.
Conference welcomes the work done by the HSGE to take forward the actions from Emergency motion 2 passed at the 2023 Health Conference, including working collectively with other health unions to oppose the dismantling of Agenda for Change; and submitting a robust consultation response highlighting the damage this would cause.
Conference re-affirms the importance of pushing for the positive measures required to really make a difference for nursing and other occupational groups, including investment in job evaluation capacity and supported progression routes for nurses particularly from band 5 to 6.
Conference also welcomes the work done to reach a collective majority position in the NHS Staff Council to oppose the separate pay spine and to set out a joint agenda for the alternative approach required from government.
Conference calls on the HSGE to:
1) Seek urgent clarifications on the timeline for the government response to the consultation
2) Use the time before confirmation of the response to continue to publicise the risks and harm that dismantling the harmonised pay structure would cause
3) Continue to work with AfC unions and other allies to oppose the establishment of a separate pay spine for nursing and to advocate for the alternative measures the government should implement to improve pay and career progression for nursing and other staff groups
4) Liaise closely with devolved regional health committees to ensure these dangerous proposals are not picked up in the devolved administrations
5) In the event of a government decision to progress the separate nursing pay spine in any form, develop a robust campaigning, organising, legal and industrial strategy to:
a) prevent its implementation
b) advocate for alternative measures
c) assess and respond to potential for break-away moves from other occupational groups or from employer groups