Letter to a concerned PN from the RCN 

1.      The RCN lobbied hard during the new GMS Contract negotiations to have Agenda for Change included in the Contract Human Resource/ Organisational Development framework and succeeded. The reality is that there are now incentives in place for all staff employed by GPs to have the same benefits as NHS employees. However while GPs remain self employed  the RCN, nor does anyone else (not even Mr Blair!)  has the mandate to make them comply.  

2.      Where General Practices wish to award their staff A f C the funds will be provided to enable this to happen.

 3.      The RCN is represented on the Department of Health forum looking at A f C and all relevant unions/professional organisations are working together to help ensure that GP employed staff will have access to A f C.

4.      There is a national GMS Contract stakeholder group which includes RCN representation.  The national negotiators are keen for all GP employed staff to have Agenda for Change and are seeking ways in which GPs can be persuaded  to implement it.

 5.      Senior Nurses working in PCOs have been urged by the RCN to engage with their local GPs and PNs to ensure that A f C is implemented within General Practice.

 6.      England has two PCT Early Implementer sites – Hereford and Central Cheshire. The RCN is working closely with these two sites and persuading the relevant managers to include practice nurses.

 7.      The RCN is currently writing an information leaflet on A f C  which is specifically for nurses employed by GPs. Once published it will be made available by phoning RCN Direct and information on its availability will be included in BULLETIN which all RCN members regularly receive.

 8.      Information has been offered on the RCN website, the PN website, the RCN PN newsletters and various journals, such as Practice Nurse, PHC Journal and the Nursing Standard. This information is regularly updated as events and learning unfold.

 The above is a very simple up date on the situation regarding PNs and A f C. There are also arrangements in place for PNs to transfer employment to the PCT (where they would automatically get A f C)  should  this be in the interest of the nurses and patients concerned.

Hopefully this letter reassures you that the RCN is doing all it can to enable nurses employed by GPs to be awarded A f C, alongside their colleagues employed by the NHS. If you wish to discuss the matter further please phone Lynn Young, RCN PHC Adviser. 0207 647 3740.

Yours sincerely,        

Beverly Malone RN, PhD, FAAN

Message from Lynn Young of the RCN, October, 2003

RCN ACTION ON GP EMPLOYED NURSES HAVING ACCESS TO AGENDA FOR CHANGE.

1. The RCN lobbied hard for Agenda for Change to be written into the new GP Contract and succeeded. But while the pressure is on for GPs to award all their staff A f C no - one (not even the Prime Minister) has the mandate to make them do so.

2. The RCN has also lobbied for the 2 PCT Early Implemeter sites to include the GP employed nurses. Central Cheshire PCT is currently showing much interest in this.

3. The English DH has a nurses GP Contract Implementation Group and the A f C issue is on its agenda.

4. A UK GP Contract group has been set up - co chaired by the NHS Confederation and the GPC. Lynn Young is the RCN representative. A f C is on the agenda.

5 The RCN will soon be publishing another information leaflet on A f C - specifically for GP employed nurses.

6. An article has been published in the RCN's Nursing Management journal urging PCO Nurse Directors to persuade local GPs that their is great sense in their nurse employees having A f C.

Any further progress will be reported.

Lynn Young

Forwarded by Lynn Young, October 2003

Agenda for Change – One Year and Counting

by

John Humphreys

I have just attended a very successful Association of Healthcare Human Resource Management Conference in Belfast. 

The conference, which is a UK four country event was notable in reflecting the breadth and diversity of the workforce agenda and in particular the fact that the implementation of Agenda for Change is only a year away.

Before considering how implementation can be progressed, it is probably worth reminding ourselves why Agenda for Change is so important to delivering better patient care and supporting the broader workforce agenda.

First the new system should support more effective recruitment and retention for all NHS staff.  Agenda for Change will provide both a clear UK baseline and recruitment and retention premia.  Secondly, the new system both in respect of the grading structure and the knowledge and skills framework will support better career development and lifelong learning.  Thirdly, the new system will promote the value of staff for what they do rather than what staff group they are and it will fairly reward additional responsibilities.  Clearly with challenges such as new service developments or initiatives such as the Working Time Directive this will be important.  Last but not least, the new system is transparent and equal pay proofed which represents a significant advance.

 With less than a year to go to full scale implementation, many employers not unreasonably are asking what should we be doing now to prepare?

 The short answer is that the Health Departments in consultation with trade unions will be circulating good practice on preparing for implementation and learning the lessons from the Early Implementers.  The short answer also is “don’t panic”, whilst as I will describe there is much preparatory work that can be done, early implementers were specifically established to test the system and whilst they are making good progress, the outcomes will need to be reviewed, the system adopted and in the case of Amicus, Unison and Transport and General Workers Union they are all to hold a second ballot before implementation can take place 

 In respect of what health employers in partnership with trades unions can do in preparation for implementation there are a number of key headings, which would include:

 1)   Engaging key stakeholders in your local health community – This should include agreeing formal working relationships between strategic health authority, trusts, trades unions and possibly independent / voluntary sector. 

 2)   Funding.  Obvious point really, but ensuring that Primary Care Trusts or commissioning authorities have identified the funding for AFC in the local delivery plan.

 3)   Job Descriptions.  Are your job descriptions up to date and comprehensive.  A critical piece of work!

 4)   Workforce Information.  Is your workforce information up to date.  The exercise will be problematic without it.

 5)   Project planning.  Information related to project planning and management will soon be available from the early implementers and will be a key piece of learning.

 6)   Time off / facilities.  Health Communities will need to review time off / facilities arrangements for both trades unions representatives and managers.  All unions will be looking to employers to support them in recruiting additional reps. 

7)   Partnership Arrangements and Communications.  Health communities will need to review their partnership arrangements.  Again learning from the Early Implementers site should be helpful.  Communications must be part of the project. 

 8)   Make sure managers and staff understand the system!!

 
Clearly many of us contemplating the implementation of the new AFC system do not want a repeat of the clinical grading experience.  I am confident that this will not happen for two reasons.  First, the system has been developed in partnership and will be implemented in partnership.  Secondly, the Early Implementers and the testing of the system in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales provide a significant opportunity to test and evaluate the system.

In respect of challenges, three spring to mind.  First is the issue of funding which whilst allocated by treasury needs to be secured at a local level.  Secondly, employers and staff side representatives should not underestimate the amount of work involved and should prepare sooner rather than later.  Third AFC is not a “done deal”, it still needs to be evaluated and Amicus, Unison and Transport and General Workers Union need to hold second ballots ahead of implementation.

 In conclusion, Early Implementers have much work to be done but the new pay system has the potential to be a really good one.  Ahead of full roll out in October 2004 there is much that can be done to make the process more manageable and never has the maxim “sooner rather than later” been truer.