The government has announced a pay rise for Agenda for Change staff of 3.3 per cent.
Whilst SoR welcomes the announcement of an earlier award, there is still concern that this award will do nothing to deal with pay restoration.
Taking effect from 1 April for all Agenda for Change (AfC) pay points, the uplift is above the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast inflation of 2.2 per cent for 2026-27, but under current inflation of 3.4 per cent.
Alongside the pay bump, the government announced it would progress talks with trade unions to implement funded improvements to the AfC pay structure.
While the SoR said that being paid on time is positive, the announcement comes alongside short-sighted job freezes, impacting members and patients, which are as important as headline pay.
The SoR was the only AfC union to submit evidence to the Pay Review Body (PRB) in September 2025. The commitments within the announcement to addressing low pay and graduate starting pay – issues the SoR emphasised – are therefore very welcome, it said.
However, Dean Rogers, executive director of industrial strategy and member relations, added, there is much more to do.
Being paid on time for the first time in six years is a positive step, but the Society will need to wait to see if and how the commitment to pay on time is met in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Member pay has also fallen by around a quarter in relative value to average pay across the rest of the economy, meaning the 3.3 per cent uplift is unlikely to close the pay gap. This pay gap ranges between 22 per cent and 32 per cent.
“This is not a sustainable strategy if the government is serious about having a positive workforce plan for the NHS,” Dean emphasised. There are also growing concerns that trusts may be required to reallocate funds from existing budgets to cover the unfunded portion of the pay award, potentially leading to reductions in service provision and wider operational pressures.
The SoR also welcomed the commitment, reflected in its evidence to the PRB, to prioritise additional money to address very low pay and also graduate pay. How much and when this additional money will be found isn’t yet clear.
The PRB report helpfully clarified that graduate pay uplifts will apply to all professions, not only nurses, and that preceptorships will be available for all new Band 5 staff. The SoR is actively working with NHS England to develop a radiography‑specific preceptorship framework to ensure new registrants receive the structured support they need.
We want to reassure members that there is no separate pay spine for nursing, and current discussions do not propose one. The move toward a large‑scale review of all band 5 nurses through the job evaluation process would place significant strain on an already under‑resourced system and, at present, would be extremely difficult to deliver safely or effectively.
Currently, all AFC employees have the mechanism to progress a job evaluation if there have been significant changes in their job descriptions.
Dean added that the Society will continue to engage with the government for more clarity and detail on these commitments, and will be looking to play a part in discussions.
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