Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 10 No 11 p469
December 2003

News summary

Related websites
DoH: Agenda for Change (more)

The guild is concerned about pharmacist job evaluations

Concern has been expressed by the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists about the job profiles that it has been sent by the Agenda for Change Job Evaluation Working Party (JEWP). The guild has sent comments back to the JEWP outlining the areas of concern, which have centred on the interpretation job analysts have given for a number of roles, and the subsequent factor level score assigned.

Ron Pate, chair of the terms and conditions committee of the guild said, “Clearly Agenda for Change has stepped up a gear. This is only one piece of the jigsaw [job evaluations], albeit it a critical one. Discussions continue on other important elements of Agenda for Change such as the application of recruitment and retention premia and replacement of the emergency duty commitment allowance.”

Speaking at the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association autumn symposium in Blackpool, Duncan McRobbie, principal clinical pharmacist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital, London, said that progress had been slow, with no profiles having been agreed. Guy’s and St Thomas’ is one of 12 early-implementer trusts running a pilot for Agenda for Change.

A final ballot on the new pay proposals is expected to take place in the spring or summer of 2004.