We know, because you tell us on a regular basis, just how much things have changed during that time. As a result, the AfC job profiles have become outdated in comparison to the jobs many of you do. They no longer reflect the knowledge, responsibility and clinical skills that registered nurses demonstrate on a daily basis. And many of your job descriptions have not been reviewed or kept relevant to what you do.
The scheme is unlikely to be fixed easily but we are committed to helping to tackle the problems with it head on. In our five-year strategy, launched last year, we set out our vision to ‘reversing pay inequalities, undoing the damage of successive years of below-inflation pay rises, and moving to restorative action whereby pay, terms and conditions of nurses and the wider nursing family actively value and reward the work that members do’.
We believe it’s an ambitious vision. Through it, we are seeking not only to secure significant improvements in terms and conditions, but also to conduct a critical examination of the pay systems and its structures.
In practical terms, though, the problems with the pay scheme affects so many of you, across all the pay bands, that we cannot hope to tackle them all in one go. The process needs to start somewhere.
So, while UK wide work to review the job profiles for some bands is ongoing, in Scotland we secured the current review of Agenda for Change band 5 nursing roles. Driven by the urgent need to retain and attract nurses at this band, this review also recognises the significant lack of parity with other professional groups such as physiotherapists and midwives. Over 38% of the nursing workforce is employed at Band 5 compared to 12% of midwives and 14% of allied health professionals.
We understand that we will not satisfy all of you with this approach. If you are not a band 5 nurse, you will no doubt look at colleagues around you and ask why other bands are being singled out.
However, the improvements we make in addressing one problem can have a positive knock-on effect on others. For example, on a UK basis, work continues specifically around progression within nursing to develop systems and agreements that match those of other professional groups. This work will take time but will be supported if we're able to point to an increased number of staff raising job evaluation claims. In addition, the review of band 5 nursing roles in Scotland will make a significant contribution to the evidence base around the need to modernise the agenda for change profiles and the job evaluation system.
In the meantime, if you are Band 5 nurse please make an application to have your role reviewed. Each NHS Board has its own system and should be sign posting you to how to apply.
If you are on another band, I would also encourage you to look at your job in relation to the job evaluation system. Consider your knowledge and qualifications, your skills and competencies and your level of experience, update your job description and ask for it to be evaluated. We have developed resources to support you in that process. Every nurse deserves to have their pay fully recognise the job they do.
- Find out more about the Band 5 nursing roles review and download resources to assist you in completing your application on our members only support pages
- Find out more about the Agenda for Change job evaluation process on our evaluation support pages
