NHS pay review body: twenty-sixth report 2012 - Official Documents

in his 20 June 2011 letter that the Government greatly values the independent and
expert view that the Review Bodies provide. Against this background, we reiterate the
importance of our independent process, our ability to consider the full range of evidence
on pay and related matters under our standing terms of reference, and our role in
making independent recommendations to the four Governments. These are particularly
important in maintaining confidence in the Review Body process among Agenda for
Change staff.
Parties Giving Evidence for our Twenty-Sixth Report
1.14 Our schedule for this review was established to enable us to deliver our report by
February 2012. We can only produce timely reports if the parties deliver written evidence
to our schedule. In this respect, NHS Employers, the Joint Staff Side and individual unions
met our deadline for submission of evidence although we were disappointed that the
Department of Health and Devolved Administrations delayed their evidence. Our remits
during 2012 (see Chapter 6) will involve particularly challenging work programmes and
we, therefore, remind the Health Departments of the importance of timely submission of
evidence.
1.15
We received written evidence from the following organisations for this report:
Government departments
Department of Health (DH), England;
Department of Health, Social Services and Children (DHSSC), Wales;
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), Northern Ireland;
Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates (SGHSCD);
Bodies representing NHS staff
Joint Staff Side 6 ;
British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS);
Royal College of Midwives (RCM);
Royal College of Nursing (RCN);
UNISON;
Unite the Union;
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT);
Employers’ bodies
NHS Employers.
1.16 Following consideration of the written evidence, we held four separate oral evidence
sessions in November 2011 with: the Secretary of State for Health, HM Treasury and the
four Health Departments’ officials; NHS Employers; the Joint Staff Side; and UCATT. Our
programme included 11 Review Body meetings in which we considered the evidence,
supporting information on the economy and labour market, and our conclusions and
recommendations. We would like to thank the parties for submitting written evidence
and attending our sessions.
6 The Joint Staff Side comprises: British Association of Occupational Therapists; British Dietetic Association; British
Orthoptic Society; Chartered Society of Physiotherapists; Federation of Clinical Scientists; GMB; Royal College of
Midwives; Royal College of Nursing; Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Society of Radiographers; UCATT;
UNISON; and Unite.
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