Evaluating the impact of a new pay system on nurses in the UK.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study examines the impact of implementing a new pay system (Agenda for Change) on nursing staff in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. This new pay system covered approximately 400,000 nursing staff. Its objectives were to improve the delivery of patient care as well as staff recruitment, retention and motivation. BACKGROUND The new system aimed to provide a simplified approach to pay determination, with a more systematic use of agreed job descriptions and job evaluation to 'price' individual jobs, linked to a new career development framework. DESIGN Secondary analysis of survey data. METHODS Analysis of results of large-scale surveys of members of the Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom (RCN) to assess the response of nurses to questions about the implementation process itself and their attitude to pay levels. RESULTS The results demonstrated that there was some positive change after implementation of Agenda for Change in 2006, mainly some time after implementation, and that the process of implementation itself raised expectations that were not fully met for all nurses. CONCLUSIONS There were clear indications of differential impact and reported experiences, with some categories of nurse being less satisfied with the process of implementation. The overall message is that a national pay system has strengths and weaknesses compared to the local systems used in other countries and that these benefits can only be maximised by effective communication, adequate funding and consistent management of the system. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE How nurses' pay is determined and delivered can be a major satisfier and incentive to nurses if the process is well managed and can be a factor in supporting clinical practice, performance and innovation. This study highlights that a large-scale national exercise to reform the pay system for nurses is a major undertaking, carries risk and will take significant time to implement effectively.