NHS Staff Council joint statements and papers

Guidance to support regularising ad hoc home and agile/hybrid working arrangements - 2 October 2023
Read this guidance on how to regularise ad hoc home and agile/hybrid working arrangements

Amendment to the calculation of work-related sick pay entitlement – 6 September 2023
Read this joint statement that outlines changes to the electronic staff record (ESR) from 1 July 2023.

Introduction of Section 35 - Homeworking and agile/hybrid working (England) - 16 August 2023
Read this joint statement which provides the underpinning principles to support with the implementation of new and ongoing home and agile/hybrid working arrangements. This will be incorporated into the NHS TCS handbook as a new section, effective 2 October 2023, and should be applied in conjunction with all other parts of the NHS terms and conditions, including Section 33 – balancing work and personal life.

Amendment to the calculation of work-related sick pay entitlement - 28 June 2023
Read this joint statement that outlines changes to the electronic staff record (ESR) from 1 July 2023.

Government and NHS Staff Council to work together to implement non-pay elements of the NHS pay deal - 19 June 2023
Read this statement from the NHS Staff Council announcing it will work with the government to implement non-pay elements for the NHS pay deal.

Outcome of the pay offer for Agenda for Change staff in England - 2 May 2023
Read the joint statement on the outcome of the offer that was made by the government on 16 March 2023 for staff employed on the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change).

Guidance on contractual issues arising from certain forms of flexible working - 31 March 2023
Read this guidance from the NHS Staff Council on contractual issues arising from certain forms of flexible working.

Joint statement from the government and the NHS Staff Council on the pay 'offer in principle' - 21 March 2023
Read the joint statement from the government and NHS Staff Council on the revised pay offer for staff on Agenda for Change contracts.

Arrangements for the King’s coronation bank holiday – 31 January 2023
This joint statement from the NHS Staff Council outlines annual leave and pay arrangements for the additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 to mark the King’s coronation. This statement was updated on 13 March 2022 to reflect the confirmed position in Wales.

Joint statement on the reimbursement of travel costs - 16 December 2022
This joint statement from the NHS Staff Council details the automatic uplifts to mileage reimbursement rates in the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook from 1 January 2023. 

Public holiday communication - 15 September 2022
Detail the arrangements for leave and pay in England for the additional public holiday on Monday, 19 September. 

Guidance on managing long-term COVID-19 sickness absence - 7 July 2022
Read jointly agreed guidance to help employers in England support staff on long term COVID-19 sickness absences.

Joint FAQs on COVID-19 sickness management – 7 July 2022
This document will help you with your approaches to sickness management during COVID-19. These questions and answers have been produced by a joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive. Read the document in full.

Joint statement on the reimbursement of travel costs in England - 23 May 2022
In response to the rising cost of fuel, the NHS Staff Council has been discussing what this means for staff and employers in relation to the business cost of travel and motoring. Read the joint statement (PDF) from the NHS Staff Council updating on these discussions and next steps.

Joint statement on the platinum jubilee public holiday - 25 March 2022
Read the joint statement from the NHS Staff Council outlining leave and pay arrangements for the additional public holiday on 3 June 2022 in celebration of the Queen's platinum jubilee.

Guidance on National Living Wage - 25 February 2022
Read this joint statement on the required changes to maintain compliance with the national living wage from 1 April 2022. 

Joint statement on annual leave – 15 December 2021
Read this joint statement which will help you support local planning and decision making around annual leave during the latest phase of the pandemic, following the announcement from the Prime Minister on 12 December.

Update to quarantine guidance – 16 August 2021
The NHS Staff Council guidance on quarantine and has been revised by a joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive. The guidance includes detail on the conditions for re-entering England and leave and pay considerations for those who are required to quarantine. Access the guidance. 

Guidance for joint union-employer partnerships on reviewing flexible working policies - 30 July 2021
To support staff and employers embed revisions to Section 33 of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook successfully, the NHS staff council has produced joint negotiations guidance detailing the crucial need for good partnership working to take place between unions and employers. Read the jointly agreed guidance. To support this, NHS Employers in partnership with the NHS Staff Council, has developed flexible working enablers for change guidance and then enablers for change poster.

Updated November 2024 – this guidance has been updated to reflect the changes to legislation in the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.

NHS Staff Council principles for inclusive pay arrangements - 30 June 2021
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed a set of principles to support the negotiation of inclusive pay arrangements when setting up continuity of care teams for midwifery, or other services. Read the principles in full.

Joint statement on flexible working in the NHS - 29 June 2021
The NHS Staff Council, on behalf of NHS trade unions and employers, has jointly agreed revisions to Section 33 of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook, which will include a new day one right to request flexible working. Download and read the statement.

Joint guidance on the end of the 2018 pay deal - 30 March 2021
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed guidance to support with the transition out of the 2018 pay deal. The guidance summarises the final elements of reform which take effect on 1 April 2021 and outline the temporary arrangements for the bands 8-9 consolidated payments. Download and read the statement.

Agreed framework on overtime payments and pay during annual leave - 12 March 2021
Following negotiations, the NHS Staff Council has agreed a framework to enable NHS employers in England to resolve issues relating to how annual leave pay should be calculated under section 13.9 of the NHS terms and conditions of service. Visit the web page which includes FAQs and download and read the framework agreement in full. 

Joint FAQ on bands 8a–9 consolidated payments – 11 March 2021
The NHS Staff Council Executive has jointly agreed guidance for staff currently in receipt of the consolidated payments in bands 8a-9 but who are not due to reach the top of their band until after 1 April 2021. Download and read the guidance.

Joint guidance on pay progression during COVID-19 – 4 February 2021
A joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive has jointly agreed guidance to support the application of pay progression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Download and read the guidance. 

Joint guidance on the management of annual leave during COVID-19 – 22 January 2021
The NHS Staff Council has updated its guidance to support the management of annual leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. Download and read the guidance.

Update to quarantine guidance – 19 January 2021
This document is an update to the initial NHS Staff Council guidance on quarantine and has been revised by the joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive. The guidance incorporates the introduction of pre-departure testing prior to travel to England which took effect on 18 January 2021. Access the guidance. 

Joint communication on overtime payments and pay during annual leave – January 2021
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed a communication on the negotiations for overtime payments and pay during annual leave. Download the statement.

Joint update to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) - January 2021
The NHS Staff Council has submitted a joint update to the NHS PRB setting out progress made in relation to the 2018 framework agreement.

Update to joint guidance on shielding due to COVID-19 – 23 November 2020
This document is an update to the initial DHSC guidance on shielding and has been produced by a joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive. The guidance provides advice for staff who need to shield. Download and read the guidance.

Joint statement on the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2020 consultation – 30 September 2020
As part of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2020 consultation, which closed on the 24 September, the NHS Staff Council co-chairs submitted the following joint statement as part of the call for representations. Read the statement in full.

Joint FAQs on pay protection due to COVID-19 – 11 August 2020
Read the answers to questions around approaches to pay protection during COVID-19 which have been produced by a joint working group of the NHS Staff Council Executive. Access the document.

Flexible contract options to support the bank workforce during COVID-19 – 9 July 2020
Download guidance on how employers can support the bank workforce during COVID-19 in this document from the NHS Staff Council.

Joint interim statement on annual leave and shielding due to COVID-19 – June 2020
A joint interim statement on annual leave and shielding has been agreed pending further joint work with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and NHS Improvement on guidance for the management of leave during the COVID-19 emergency. Download and read the interim statement.

Joint guidance on overtime payments during COVID-19 – May 2020
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed guidance to support conversations on the introduction of temporary local changes to overtime payments made to staff during the COVID-19 emergency and its aftermath. Download and read the guidance in full.

Joint statement on COVID-19 - February 2020
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed a statement on good partnership working and issues to consider when developing local plans to combat COVID-19. Download and read the statement in full.

Joint update to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) - January 2020
The NHS Staff Council has submitted a joint update to the NHS PRB setting out progress made in relation to the 2018 Framework Agreement. 

Joint statement on apprenticeship pay - November 2019
Following negotiations on the rate of pay for apprenticeships, the NHS Staff Council has reached a no-deal outcome.  Please note – Changes were made to the TCS Handbook for the pay of staff who take up an apprenticeship as part of their NHS career development on 1 July 2024.  See section 1 and Annex 30 of the TCS Handbook for more details. Read the full statement.

Joint communication on buying and selling annual leave - November 2019
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed a communication on the outcome of negotiations for buying and selling annual leave. Download the statement.

Framework agreement on the reform of Agenda for Change - June 2018
This framework document sets out a three-year agreement covering the years from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2021. It sets out both the pay investment that will be made and the reforms that employers, NHS trade unions and the Department of Health and Social Care are agreeing to implement over the period of the agreement and going forward. 

NHS Staff Council joint statement on the budget - November 2017
Following the Chancellor's budget on 22 November, the NHS Staff Council has released the following joint statement:

“The Chancellor’s announcement that the 1 per cent public sector pay cap will be relaxed for the NHS Agenda for Change workforce and additional funding will be made available is a positive development. It is vital that all NHS Staff feel valued and adequately rewarded to address recruitment and retention issues to ensure safe patient care.

Employers and trades unions recognise that the continuation of tight pay restraint in the NHS cannot be sustained any longer in view of staff shortages and morale issues evident across all parts of the country, which are beginning to affect the care and treatment for patients.

The relaxation of pay restraint provides a welcome opportunity to explore pay and productivity improvements for the health service. We are committed to further partnership discussions but appreciate this will be challenging given the economic outlook and the continuing tight NHS finances set out in the budget."

Advice note on DOCAS - September 2017
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed an advice note on employer level agreements for the deduction of contributions at source (DOCAS), otherwise known as the check-off. It should be noted that the guidance is for England only.

Apprenticeship guidance - July 2017
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed general guidance on apprenticeships in the NHS. Read their new guidance Apprenticeships in the NHS.

Public Sector Exit Payments update - July 2017
The NHS Staff Council has jointly agreed a brief update on Public Sector Exit Payments, covering some of the work that the joint working group is discussing, and the next steps. Read the Public Sector Exit Payments update.