April 2013 - Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust

Supporting our workforceAn update from Workforce Director Victoria MaherChanges to Pay Terms and ConditionsFollowing national discussions between NHS Employers and TradeUnions an agreement has been reached with the majority of TradeUnions regarding changes to Agenda for Change (AfC) Terms andConditions.The changes include:progression through all incremental pay points in all paybands to be conditional on individuals demonstrating thatthey meet locally agreed performance requirements in linewith a proposed new Annex addition to the handbook.for staff in bands 8C, 8D and 9, pay progression into the lasttwo points in a band will become annually earned, and onlyretained where the appropriate local level of performance isreached in a given year.the removal of accelerated pay progression associated withpreceptorship for staff joining pay band 5 as new entrants.the scope to put in place alternative, non AfC, payarrangements for Band 8C and above.new guidance on the principles to be followed regardingworkforce re-profiling, including the need to follow theprocesses set out in the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook and theapplication of local organisational change policies to protectstaff in cases of staff redeployment into lower grade posts. pay during sickness absence will be paid at basic salary level -not including any allowance or payments linked to workingpatterns or additional work commitments. This change willnot apply to staff who are paid on spine points 1 - 8 ofAgenda for Change, or to those whose absence is due to work-related injury or disease.We have discussed the changes locally with Staff SideRepresentatives; the following were implemented from 1 April2013: pay during sickness absence will be paid at basic salary level -not including any allowance or payments linked to workingpatterns or additional work commitments. This change willnot apply to staff who are paid on spine points 1 - 8 ofAgenda for Change, or to those whose absence is due to work-related injury or disease.the removal of accelerated pay progression associated withpreceptorship for staff joining pay band 5 as new entrants.Any member of staff that began a preceptorship before 1April will receive this payment.The Trust will look to implement the remaining changes relating topay progression however this will be through a phased approachfollowing a review of our current appraisal process. This will bediscussed with Staff Side Representatives. Itshould be noted that as with nationaldiscussions not all unions agree with thechanges.You may also be aware that theGovernment has accepted the PayReview Body recommendation that allNHS staff on AfC terms and conditionsreceive a 1 per cent rise in theirbasic pay effective from 1 April2013.The Government has alsoannounced that it has acceptedthe recommendations of theDoctors' and Dentists' ReviewBody which sees a 1 per centuplift for salaried doctors anddentists.Clinical and Operational PoliciesA wide range of clinical and operational policies have been reviewed andupdated in the last three months. These include:MRSA IPC Policy, Hand Hygiene IPC Policy, QAP 6.2.2CR - Staff Training andDevelopment, Missed Appointments, Quality Objectives, HR71 Medical StaffJob Planning, Escalation Plan, Patient information - provision and discussionof information with parents, HR37 Employment Breaks, HR23 Policy forRecovery of Overpayments and Payment of Underpayments, TrainingGuideline (inc Training Needs Analysis as appendix), Media Policy andProcedure, HS06 Hazardous substances (COSHH), Staff Subjected toDomestic Abuse, Measles MMR vaccination policy (Occupational HealthPolicy), Data Quality Policy, Norovirus IPC policy, Information SharingProtocol - Health and Social Care Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, HS19Electrical Safety (fixed installation) and Lightning Policy.All policies are available from the Document Library on the intranetHuman Resources PoliciesPolicy UpdateRecent policy introductions and changes include:HR01 Policy for Equality & DiversityThis policy enables us to promote the awareness of Equality and Diversityissues and ensures that you (and others as noted in the policy) are aware ofhow to raise concerns should you feel they have not been treated inaccordance with the policy.HR03 Policy for SecondmentsThis policy has been updated to the new Trust Policy for Policies format. Itlays out the process for staff and managers who want to have an internal orexternal secondment and also describes the conditions required upon returnto substantive posts.HR29 Policy for Time off for Special CircumstancesThis policy has been revised and renamed. There is new and additionalinformation regarding time off for fertility treatment and a form to requesttime off for fertility treatment has been added to the policy; informationregarding time off to perform special constable duties with local policeforces; and also information for managers around adjusting entitlementsbased on the hours worked for part-time staff. It outlines the processes inplace for staff who want to request leave for special circumstances andguidance for managers who might be asked to authorise such leave.HR42 Policy for Relocation AssistanceThis policy sets out the Trust’s approach to the payment of relocation andrelated expenses for key employees on recruitment. It outlines theentitlements and responsibilities of those who need help to relocate due totheir job role, and those of the managers who agree to pay relocationassistance.All Human Resources Policies are available from the HR section of theintranetAuto Enrolment for pensions from 1 MayAs part of the Government’s pension reforms, employers are now requiredby law to automatically enrol eligible staff into a workplace pension. Thismajor change to how you save for retirement, known as AutomaticEnrolment, will be introduced from 1 May 2013.From this date we will automatically enrol eligible staff into our workforceNHS pension scheme and deductions will be made from your NHS pay into thescheme. This is in line with the Government’s reforms which ensure everyemployed person in the UK contributes to a pension scheme. Staff who arenot eligible for membership of the NHS Pension Scheme will be automaticallyenrolled into the Trust's alternative pension scheme - the National Employee'sSavings Trust (NEST). Being in a workplace pension means that you will payinto it, we as your employer pay into it, and the Government pays into it inthe form of tax relief – consequently, some of the money that would havegone to the government in the form of income tax goes into your pensioninstead. You can choose to opt out of the scheme if you want to, but if youstay in you will have your own pension which you will get when you retire.If you are already a member of the NHS Pension scheme you should receive aletter of confirmation, while non eligible workers, or those who havepreviously opted out of the NHS scheme, will receive a personalised letterexplaining their options. Any employees who have 'opted out' of the NHSPension Scheme because they have a Fixed or Enhanced Protection certificateto comply with HMRC rules have been advised by HMRC that they must again'opt out' of the NHS Pension scheme by completing an application to leavethe NHS Pension Scheme (SD502) which are now available on the NHS Pensionwebsite. These staff must be aware that if they do not act immediately, theywill lose their HMRC Protection.For more visit the NHS Pensions Agency website www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Pensions.aspx which includes FAQs and use the ‘opting out’ link, visit the intranetor call Ext 2350 or 2351.11