Shorter working week for NHS nurses in Scotland
Posted 04 March 2024 - 13:30
A 30-minute reduction in the working week for NHS nurses will be implemented in April 2024 after agreement reached between the Scottish Government and unions
Nurses working in the NHS in Scotland will see their working week reduced by 30 minutes and be able to request a review of their band 5 roles from next month.
NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) staff – including nurses, midwives and allied health professionals – will see the 30-minute reduction from 1 April as part of the agreed 2023-24 pay deal.
If staff are not able to receive the time reduction due to service pressures, safe staffing or well-being issues, they will be paid overtime until it can be accommodated, the Scottish Government has said.
Band 5 role reviews could lead to backdated pay
Other measures agreed include consistent protected learning time across all NHS Scotland boards, and a defined process for band 5 nurses to self-apply for a review of their role. If successful in their application, they will receive backdated pay from when it is agreed they have been working beyond their job description, but no further back than 1 April 2023.
Health secretary Neil Gray said: ‘Our AfC system recognises the value, dedication and hard work of our staff and makes NHS Scotland an employer of choice.
‘We expect NHS boards to work in partnership with trade unions and staff to reduce the working week. This presents an opportunity to modernise how staff are rostered and work, ensuring that NHS Scotland is a leader in flexible and family friendly working practices.’
Changes have helped to avoid strike action
The changes were agreed between trade unions and the Scottish Government as part of a process to modernise AfC in NHS Scotland. They are intended to promote recruitment, retention and sustainability in the workforce.
RCN Scotland director Colin Poolman welcomed the changes, and said the agreements were ‘fundamental’ to resolving the pay deal in Scotland and avoiding strike action taken by nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Valuing safety critical role of nurses is key to recruitment, says RCN
Mr Poolman added: ‘It is great for our members working in the NHS that the Scottish Government has finally given the go-ahead for implementation.
‘It’s taken longer than it should have, given that the review presented its recommendations last November. These elements of the 2023-24 pay deal were fundamental to resolving the RCN’s dispute on NHS pay in Scotland and preventing the historic industrial action experience in the other UK nations.
‘Valuing and recognising the safety critical role of nursing staff, through fair pay and working conditions, is key to retaining and recruiting the sustainable nursing workforce needed to meet the growing demands on our health and care services.
‘I look forward to seeing the implementation process through so our members can realise these benefits.’
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