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Application of Agenda for Change to general practice
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Last modified date:20 August 2007
The NHS is in the final stages of rolling out a new pay and reward system, Agenda for Change (AfC) within secondary and community care. Agenda for Change aims to provide equal pay for work of equal value for all NHS staff. It has modernised national terms and conditions for virtually all the non-medical staff in the NHS. It also provides a career framework for staff to develop within their present roles and to prepare them for new roles.
This briefing has been developed (by a small working group of stakeholders) in response to requests from staff employed in general practice and their employers. It is intended to provide background information for you as general practitioners and practice managers considering implementation of the scheme. More detailed information, including on job evaluation, is planned for circulation shortly.
Although implementation is compulsory across the rest of the NHS, AfC implementation is usually voluntary in general practice. Exceptions to this are:
- Where a PMS practice has previously agreed to AfC in its contract with the PCT
- Where a member of staff's contract states that they will receive AfC pay and/or terms and conditions
- Where a contract expressly provides for Whitley /national terms or allows the practice to incorporate these pay uplifts
However, the expectation is that GP practices will ensure their employment standards comply with good human resources practice in line with AfC principles, as set out in the Blue Book.
Why change to Agenda for Change?
Whilst many GP practices already provide good terms and conditions for their staff, the implementation of AfC would ensure pay parity with the NHS, and equal pay for work of equal value.
Better services for patients
- A highly motivated workforce with the skills and competences to deliver high quality care
- Greater flexibility in development of new roles for all practice staff
- Improved training, appraisal and personal development leading to improved patient experiences.
Improved staff development
- Annual appraisal linked to the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF)
- KSF will identify skills and competences required within roles thereby fostering more effective training and development
- Greater flexibility in development of new roles for all practice staff
Improved employment practice
- Fairer, more transparent pay and terms - consistency across the patch
- Improved recruitment and retention
- Pay rates in practices will be the same for equivalent jobs in the community and acute settings
- Staff who move to AfC will be able to transfer to and from community and acute settings, keeping their skills up to date
What would you need to do?
Establish joint partnership arrangements (see 'definition of key terms') locally. This can be done within the practice, with other practices or with your PCT.
First steps
- Review what AfC will mean for your practice
- Discuss this with your current staff
- Talk to other practices wishing to do this and the PCT in order to pool expertise and make the process easier.
- Register your intent with NHS Employers on www.nhsemployers.org and your PCT
Next steps
- All job descriptions must be reviewed, updated and agreed with postholders.
- Employment policies must be reviewed and updated.
- Managers will need to be familiar with the current terms and conditions and how these are changed by AfC.
- Staff and managers in partnership pairs will need to be trained in the job evaluation and KSF schemes.
- Ensure your appraisal system for the practice staff is compatible with the KSF
- Match jobs to national profiles
- Jobs which cannot be matched will need to be locally evaluated
- New pay, terms and conditions need to be agreed with individual staff
- Transfer staff on to new terms and conditions
Further information
Practices wishing to implement AfC can do so at any time. Support and advice are available from a range of organisations (see below). We anticipate larger group roll out of primary care implementation in early 2006.
Full details how to use the KSF and job evaluation scheme can be found on:
Definitions of key AfC terms
- Partnership - relates to joint working between management and staff representatives. It underpins the whole process, and is non-negotiable.
- KSF - new framework linked to annual development reviews and personal development planning set out in the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework and Development Review Process.
- Job evaluation - comparison of posts within the NHS to ensure equal pay for jobs of equal value as set out in the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook (2nd edition)
- Job matching - match to national profiles
For further information contact your PCT. Alternatively, central support is available as follows:
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