How was AfC developed?

Under the Whitley pay system, different staff groups were entitled to different amounts of leave and had working weeks of varying lengths; there was a multitude of shift patterns, on-call arrangements and payments. The lack of comparable terms and conditions across all staff groups created barriers to development as well as equal pay claims.

Each of the nine AfC pay bands has a number of pay points. Staff will normally progress to the next pay point annually until they reach the top of the pay band. In addition to basic pay, there is extra pay for staff who work in areas that have a high cost of living, such as the London region.

What are the strengths of AfC?

The key benefits for staff members include having a pay system that is fair and transparent, with harmonised conditions for all groups. Staff can be reassured the skills they develop will be recognised and appropriately rewarded.

Unite national officer for health and social care Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe says: ‘The main strength is based on looking at people’s jobs in a fair and a consistent way across the whole NHS.

‘AfC encourages partnership working between management and the trade unions, and removes unnecessary pay competition between NHS employers.’

A move towards locally or regionally negotiated pay could significantly reduce pay levels, weaken unions’ bargaining positions and lead to a fragmented system that is not transparent, fair or based on equal pay for work of equal value, the Royal College of Midwives has warned.

What are the shortcomings?

A report to government ministers from the independent NHS Pay Review Body in July said consideration should be given to whether the AfC system reflects the development of nursing as a graduate profession.

It said salaries in nursing ‘do not keep pace with other graduate earnings over the course of a career, and this raises the question of whether the AfC system reflects the professional demands on nurses and their contribution to the NHS’.

At this month’s RCN congress, one of the resolutions submitted by the Greater Liverpool and Knowsley branch states that AfC is no longer fit for purpose and calls for a review.

Mr Jarrett-Thorpe says AfC often doesn’t adapt quickly enough to the way jobs are reviewed, particularly for those at the bottom of the pay scale, and staff often think they are not being paid enough and valued for what they do.

‘This has been borne out over the past 16 months through the pandemic,’ he says. ‘However, I’d warn against people trying to get away from AfC. It needs to be strengthened – we couldn’t go back to Whitley as that would cause more problems than it would solve. We need to be united as NHS workers.’

Should we expect more pay protests?

The RCN is holding a ballot to gauge members’ views on whether they are prepared to accept the much-delayed 3% offer – the college wants 12.5%. And Unison is consulting its NHS members too.

In May, the Scottish Government announced it was giving most health service nurses a 4% pay rise, and the RCN is now in formal dispute in a push for more. Nurses in Northern Ireland have yet to hear from their government.

For an unabridged version of this article, go to rcni.com/AfC-pay-context