NHS Pay Bands

Eekbubble

Hi all

Looking for advice for those that know a thing or two about NHS pay grades.

There is an NHS job that I'm interested in applying for but I'm not clear on the banding. It says on the job advert that the salary is £21,692 - £28,180 p.a.

I'm coming from private sector with no public sector experience and I'm already earning towards to the top end of the band. If I was fortunate enough to be offered the role, would they expect me to start at the bottom of the band and therefore take a significant pay cut? Or does this mean that I'll be offered a salary somewhere in between these scales depending on experience etc?

Thanks.

Guest101

Eekbubble wrote: »

Hi all

Looking for advice for those that know a thing or two about NHS pay grades.

There is an NHS job that I'm interested in applying for but I'm not clear on the banding. It says on the job advert that the salary is £21,692 - £28,180 p.a.

I'm coming from private sector with no public sector experience and I'm already earning towards to the top end of the band. If I was fortunate enough to be offered the role, would they expect me to start at the bottom of the band and therefore take a significant pay cut? Or does this mean that I'll be offered a salary somewhere in between these scales depending on experience etc?

Thanks.

You start at the bottom and move up the stages on a yearly basis.


http://www.nhsemployers.org/~/media/Employers/Documents/Pay%20and%20reward/AfC%20pay%20bands%20from%201%20April%202015.pdf

ohreally

That would fall to the recruiting manager, expect to start at the bottom unless you have a strong case not to.

Remember a like for like comparison may not be straightforward ie pension provision, holidays, sick pay.

Eekbubble

Thanks both. This is a shame as I really couldn't accept such a cut (although note your comments about the whole package ohreally)

ctbfc

Not sure where you live OP but if you are in London you would get an extra 4k on top of that as London weighting.

getmore4less

Look up "agenda for change"(A4C) salary scales and read the full handbook.

and even then some trusts are off on their own on T&C's.

Negotiate if you can't take the cut depending on te position demand and your skill there is room for staring higher on the scale.

Guest101

getmore4less wrote: »

Look up "agenda for change"(A4C) salary scales and read the full handbook.

and even then some trusts are off on their own on T&C's.

Negotiate if you can't take the cut depending on te position demand and your skill there is room for staring higher on the scale.

It's a band 5 post and the NHS is skint.


the manager will be under pressure to save on costs.


This is unlikely to be a demand outweighing supply role.

polgara

Depending on your experience and qualifications you MAY be able to start one point up from the bottom of the band, HOWEVER the recruiting manager would need to provide compelling evidence that this was the case.

In my experience even if you are very experienced in your field, you have no comparable experience in the NHS so its unlikely you would be able to hit the ground running so to speak.

You do need to take into consideration the whole package - the pension itself even though eroded is second to none, the annual increments (at the moment but I'd lay money on this being the next thing targeted), and other benefits (e.g. NHS staff can access lots of discounts).

I'm hardly impartial (23 years in the NHS this year) but the potential for career progression and development can outweigh the initial low salary.

shortcrust

I work in the NHS. The real answer is none of us know. I know of places that have put people at the top of a band without a second thought and places that would think you were insane for suggesting it. If I was joining the NHS today and my previous pay was at the top of the pay band I would definitely be asking for that. You can take your time negotiating. It's not like the private sector where they might withdraw the offer. The very worse that can happen is they say no. They'll have funding for the top of the band so if they want you enough you'll probably get it.

michelle09

The only time I've seen someone come in above the bottom point is if they are being promoted from a lower band and the bottom would be a paycut. Doesn't mean it won't happen, and you could always ask, but I wouldn't count on it.

Manxman_in_exile

Is this a clinical role? If yes, how much private sector experience have you got?


Most of the replies on here are correct in that you'll probably have to accept something near the bottom of the scale unless you've got skills and experience they're really looking for or they're one of those trusts being hammered for an excess use of agency staff and they desperately need to fill currently vacant substantive posts. But as somebody else said, the NHS is skint and most trusts won't pay anything more than they absolutely have to.


Don't underestimate the value of an NHS pension. The current scheme isn't as good as the one I was in, but you'd be hard pushed to beat it. Of course it may be subject to further amendment (ie not so generous) as public sector pensions are squeezed, but it's still good at the moment