CHANGES TO AGENDA FOR CHANGE SICK PAY, WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU!

Health service employer representatives and unions have been discussing changes to the national NHS pay framework, Agenda for Change, for eighteen months, this is been done to protect the terms of the agenda change agreement nationally and ensure trusts don't break away from it, with the current economic climate and the national cuts to the NHS running in to the billions NHS trust across the country are looking at where they can make saving.

The changes were voted in by the majority of unions as they wish to protect the agenda for change terms for their members by trying to prevent trusts moving away from AFC and implementing local terms and conditions.

 What is significant is what was voted on was a change to section 14 of the Agenda for Change.

This section 14 relates to all staff on agenda for change terms and condition, with the exception of ambulance staff employed by ambulance trusts.  For Ambulance staff employed by ambulance trusts, unsocial hour’s payment and sickness paid arrangement are covered in Annex E of the Agenda for Change handbook and there has been NO change to this! Annex E section 3 states, The pay enhancement will be based on the average number of hours worked outside these times during the standard working week, and will be paid as a fixed percentage addition to basic pay in each pay period. The enhancement will be pensionable and count for sick pay, but will not be consolidated for purposes of overtime or any other payment. There is no alteration to Annex E so any ambulance staff employed by YAS should still receive the regular fixed percentage unsocial payment if on sick leave.