P R E S S R E L E A S E

11th May 2004

For immediate release

AGENDA for CHANGE moves out of EARLY IMPLEMENTER SITES

The Shadow NHS Staff Council has without prejudice to further union ballots agreed in the spirit of partnership that it is essential that preparations for eventual Agenda for Change (AfC) rollout continue. This will ensure that delays are avoided as staff are moved onto the AfC pay scales earlier and the agreed modernisation benefits are realised sooner.

Therefore in many non-Early Implementer (EI) sites pharmacists will be

encouraged to become AfC representatives and participate in the process
requested to agree what families or groupings exist in their service
prepare, agree and amend existing job descriptions (and person specifications)
join and potentially attend practice matching panels to match current posts to national job profiles

David Miller Chair of Terms & Conditions for GHP commented

" A lot of pharmacists outside of the E.I. sites thought this was a long way off. The recent emphasis from GHP about managers and staff getting involved in the process, identifying "family groups" and updating job descriptions and person specifications now becomes more relevant. "

"This is important as our initial experience from the EI process suggests that those services where the local pharmacy managers and staff actively participate in the Job Evaluation training and other local processes find it easier to communicate and convey the unique skills and responsibilities required in their local posts."

Any initial concerns are allayed by the fact that

all AfC plans must be in partnership based on proper and adequate staff representation
any practice matching would not be used in national implementation unless they are re-checked at implementation and validity established
due to the need to ensure preparatory steps are in place few organisations will be ready to proceed immediately
any practice matches made before the end of June will require additional checks once the review of E.I. sites is available

David Miller commented

"It is likely some members will now be asked to expedite this practice matching process and finalise job descriptions. Our advice is to ensure, through local staff-side representatives that this is part of an agreed staff-management partnership approach and they should not feel pressurised, to sign off job descriptions unless they are agreed as accurate by the postholder and manager."

Annex

Extract from Agenda for Change Proposed Agreement

(i) All parties agree to work in partnership to deliver a new NHS pay system which supports NHS service modernisation and meets the reasonable aspirations of staff. The signatories to this agreement will accordingly work together to meet the reasonable aspirations of all the parties to:

Ensure that the new pay system leads to more patients being treated, more quickly and being given higher quality care;
Assist new ways of working which best deliver the range and quality of services required, in as efficient and effective a way as possible, and organised to best meet the needs of patients;
Assist the goal of achieving a quality workforce with the right numbers of staff, with the right skills and diversity, and organised in the right way;
Improve the recruitment, retention and morale of the NHS workforce;
Improve all aspects of equal opportunity and diversity, especially in the areas of career and training opportunities and working patterns that are flexible to family commitments;
Meet equal pay for work of equal value criteria, recognising that pay constitutes any benefits in cash or conditions;
Implement the new pay system within the management, financial and service constraints

David Miller

Chairman

GHP Terms and Conditions Committee