Lisa Broad was thrilled when she accepted the position of Cardiology Nurse Clinician and team leader as a Band 7 role at East Cheshire NHS Trust. She knew the post was previously a Band 8, but was assured that all line managing responsibilities would be held by the management team. It quickly became apparent this was not the case and with the support of Justine Somerville, Job Evaluation Project Officer for North West, Lisa’s role was eventually uplifted from a Band 7 to an 8a.
I undertook the role of Cardiology Nurse Clinician and team leader from Oct 2017 to July 2022 on a Band 7. The post was initially banded at 8A from 2010 to 2017. Therefore, the post had been at that grade more than seven years prior to me being offered the position at a Band 7.
I continued in the role as a Band 7 for the next five years. From October 2017, I was the lead for five Integrated Cardiology Services within secondary and primary care. I had full team leader / management responsibilities for five specialist nurses. In addition, I worked at an Advanced Practitioner level as identified by the Health Education England, Advanced Clinical Practice.
On numerous occasions, via email and in annual appraisals with the operational management team, I had raised the issue of my role previously being recognised as fulfilling Band 8 requirements, but with no success. Part of this timeframe covered the years of Covid and I felt it was not a priority when everyone was facing such difficulties and so did not hold the management team to account at that point.
I was left completely dejected and demoralised and therefore left this position in July 2022.
The job description and person specification that I fulfilled and fully complied with was then used to advertise and recruit into the role that for the previous five years I had undertaken, to a high standard according to my peers, at a band 8a.
Consequently, following some time to reflect, I contacted the RCN and was put in touch with Justine Somerville, my local representative. Her guidance and support were crucial to me and to my case. With her direction, I was able to work through emails, appraisals, job specification and local and national policy. We then built the case with which to go back to the trust and undertake a hearing in relation to the role and its banding.
Being able to present the case in a transparent, robust fashion no doubt assisted greatly.
Following the hearing the organisation ruled that for the five years I was in the post I was working at the band 8a level. This therefore resulted in being awarded financial reimbursement and the correction of increments at 8a.
However, more than this, it conveyed to me that my employers valued and acknowledged the work I had been doing, factors which were critical in my choosing to remain with the Trust in a new role as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Acute Medicine. I’m grateful to Justine and the RCN for their help and support.
Find out more about the RCN's Job Evaluation Project here.
