Bands 8a and above intermediate pay point FAQs

The introduction of an intermediate pay step point was agreed as part of the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations for the 2024/25 Agenda for Change pay award, which means it will be effective from 1 April 2024, and will be implemented from 1 November 2024.  

Yes, the intermediate pay step is effective from 1 April 2024, meaning any staff eligible for back payments can expect this in their November 2024 salaries. This date is different from the 5.5 per cent uplift back pay which will be paid earlier, in October salaries. 

ESR will automatically move staff who are or become eligible by the end of October, unless their employer has identified that the staff member has not met pay progression standards. In this situation employers are required to do a manual adjustment to move the staff member back to the appropriate pay step point in ESR. This must be completed in line with local payroll deadlines for November pay. 

For eligible staff, pay will be backdated to the date the intermediate pay step point was achieved or 1 April as appropriate. Pay arrears will automatically be paid in November salaries For further details, see ESR User Notice UN3510.

The expectation is that all staff will meet the required standards and therefore be able to progress. However, if a member of staff does not meet the pay progression standards, the employer is required to inform the staff member about this decision. Following this, the employer is required to do a manual adjustment to prevent the automatic progression. If a decision is taken to delay a pay step, annex 23, paragraph 30 – 38 will still apply. 

Employers will be required to do any manual interventions until 31 October. Any pay progression due on or after 1 November 2024 will be managed by ESR’s automatic functionality. For further details, see ESR User Notice UN3510.

From the 1 November onwards, progression to the intermediate pay step point will require employers to record a successful pay progression in ESR. This will enable the pay step increase to be applied.  Employers will not receive the usual ESR pay progression notifications for the intermediate pay step point in November.  Therefore, organisations will need to identify employees who may be due to move to the intermediate pay step point during this period and take the appropriate action in ESR.  Staff with who reach the two year pay step date in November are encouraged to highlight with their manager to ensure it is recorded by the employer. 

From December, employers will receive the normal ESR notifications that staff are reaching a pay step point and the normal pay progression process will apply in ESR. 

No, the intermediate pay points are effective from 1 April 2024, so back pay is only applicable for members of staff from the 1 April 2024 and not the actual date when the employee attained two years’ service if that occurred prior to the 1 April 2024.   

As per point 44 of annex 23, if a staff member is absent from work for reasons such as sickness or parental leave when a pay step is due, the principle of equal and fair treatment should be followed so that no detriment is suffered as a result. 

The ESR system will progress existing staff automatically, however, for individual staff who may have active formal capability processes, live disciplinary sanctions or suspensions, employers should follow points 44 - 49 of Annex 23 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (TCS) Handbook.  

Pay step dates will not be affected, and individual staff pay step dates will remain the same.

Time already spent within the band will count towards length of service on a pay step point, provided the appropriate level of performance and delivery has been achieved during the review period, as outlined in Annex 23.  

As per section 1.11 of the NHS TCS Handbook, annually earned pay points apply to staff at the top of bands 8c, 8d and 9, therefore the introduction of the intermediate pay step points will not impact re-earnable annually earned pay points.

Pay protection arrangements are locally determined, and employers should refer to their local pay protection policies.