The RCPod makes recommendations to the Scottish government ahead of the 2023/2024 pay award
Categories
NHS
Scotland
The College took part in discussions with employers and the government to get movement on four key areas affecting health care workers in Scotland
As part of the 2023/2024 Pay Award for NHS staff in Scotland, it was agreed that tripartite groups involving employers, unions and the government would be set up to look at:
- Protected learning
- Reducing the working week
- A review of Band 5 nurses
- Pay modernisation.
The 2023/2024 pay agreement firmly committed to ensuring that staff were not placed in any financial detriment due to any agreed changes.
On 22 November, the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) agreed the recommendations from the working groups. STAC has sent these recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary for Health for approval.
A summary of those papers includes:
- Protected Learning Time – the paper provides a clear implementation plan and methodology to ensure that there is a consistent approach to statutory, mandatory and role-specific training across NHS Scotland. For podiatrists, this means protected time to undertake the CPD requirements for the HCPC.
- Reduced Working Week – the paper identifies a method by which the working week can be reduced over three years with no loss of earnings and sets out a plan to identify ‘pathfinders’ to test concerns around service delivery and safety. Part-time workers would have their working week shortened pro rata.
- Band 5 Nursing Review – the paper identifies a methodology for Band 5 nurses who feel that they are working above their grade and a questionnaire has been developed for use in the future. There is still work to do to ensure that Boards can respond efficiently to the impact of this paper. If any podiatrist believes they are working above their pay band, then they should use the local job evaluation procedure.
- Pay Modernisation – consensus was reached around possible changes to the Spinal Column Points, incremental values and progression which would assist the pay, reward and retention agenda which will be looked at as part of next year’s pay negotiation.
The Royal College of Podiatry has urged the staff side of STAC to write to the Cabinet Secretary that it expects these items to move into an implementation phase without delay.