The NHS Agenda for Changing Job Descriptions

Agenda For Change is the biggest re-organization of pay, terms and conditions in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) since 1948. Agenda For Change applies to nearly all 1.3 million NHS staff, excluding only the most senior managers and medics.

Principles

• All NHS job descriptions, employment terms and pay scales are set nationally by the Agenda For Change policy. The core principle of Agenda For Change is "equal pay for work of equal value."

Features

• Each NHS employee is placed in one of nine pay bands according to their skills, knowledge and level of responsibility. Each pay band is subdivided into a number of pay points; as staff develop knowledge and skills, they move up a pay point each year until they reach the maximum level in their pay band. Agenda For Change also sets employment conditions such as vacation entitlement, sickness benefits and working hours.

Benefits

• According to the NHS, Agenda For Change benefits staff and employers by being fair, transparent and flexible. It also favors patients because jobs are designed to meet clinical need rather than pay grade definitions.