We’ve responded to a consultation on the new nursing profiles, led by the NHS Staff Council Job Evaluation Group, calling for further refinement of the draft profiles to better reflect the diverse responsibilities, skills and experiential learning required. We propose that further adjustments are needed to ensure the recognition of clinical expertise and the evolving nature of nursing roles.

Nursing profiles are used to decide which Agenda for Change pay band NHS nursing staff are working at, affecting how much they get paid.

We believe nurses working at this level, such as ward managers and clinical nurse specialists, have significant on-the-job experience that would enable them to develop and autonomously deliver advanced clinical skills.

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: "The new draft nursing profiles don’t assign enough value to clinical expertise from working in specialities and specialist teams or within wards."

In addition, ongoing reflective practice and continuous evidence-based learning or research which informs practice is not valued enough in the updated profiles for these bands. Reflective practice is essential to the growing autonomy and responsibility of nursing leaders in these roles.

We say it’s now essential the full suite of updated profiles is reviewed in relation to one another. Each new profile must clearly reflect the increased autonomy and responsibility at each "band.

Nicola said: "Agenda for Change is now 20 years old and no longer reflects modern nursing and what’s expected of nursing staff in each pay band. Nursing is now a degree-educated, highly skilled, safety-critical role.

"This profile review is a unique opportunity to ensure that nursing staff are not only correctly rewarded, but that the profession attracts a new generation of nurses with the right skills to deliver the level of care required.

"The UK government must ensure every nursing professional is in the right band, so that every staff member is paid fairly and can afford to keep working in the NHS. This should be in addition to a fully funded above-inflation pay rise for 2025/2026."

The NHS Employers Job Evaluation Group is continuing to review and further amend profiles in light of responses and evidence submitted to their consultations.

We’re already supporting members to use the job evaluation process to seek pay justice. Find out more about job evaluation.