NHS banding

[msagile2605]

I asked a question and got answers from very kind people - thank you all

I have a new question triggered by the answers. When you reach the top of a band on the NHS, what happens? When you reach the top of B6, are you automatically moved up to 7?

No - you stay at the top of the band. The only way to move up a band is to apply for and get a new job at a higher band

no you stay at the top of your band

Hahahah, nope.
When AfC was introduced this is the myth that went alongside, however the reality is that unless the money turns up you stay at the top of whatever band you’re at.

You stay stuck at the top of your band forever. Unless you can get a band 7 job.

No, that's the band that job had been assessed as fitting into. You being there x years doesn't change the 'value' assigned to the tasks in that job. A band 6 job is a band 6 job however long a person is in it, it's the job that's banded as a 6, not you personally.

Band 5 nurses wouldn’t be struggling with pay if they were on Band 7 money after 10 years.

Thanks - nice to know that - I just need to put my boots on and try apping my game. Perhaps I'll do some more courses or certifications always handy

True

Right -Okay, got it

Interesting -just need to put my boots on and try apping my game. Maybe I will enroll in a few more courses or obtain a few certifications since it is always nice to have something extra handy

Look at some band 7 job descriptions and see if you fit the criteria. Then you can work out what to do next.

A band 7 role is usually a bit more than a few extra courses/certifications. I dont understand if you are working in a B6 NHS role already that you wouldn't know any of this? Pay info would be in your contract and generally you should know what the B7s in your team do.

It may be different depending on what you actually do in the NHS but in my area (lab) you need a masters or above to qualify for band 7
Presumably it will be similar across various roles as I thought that was the point of job matching etc but happy to be told I’m wrong!

Not automatic in the slightest unfortunately! You’d have to apply for jobs and go through an interview process just like anybody else. I’m a band 7 physio - typically as a B7 you’d be expected to have completed some sort of postgraduate study like an MSc, plus different courses related to your profession. Contribution to research and experience teaching + supervising students is also usually necessary.

no, no more incremental rise just inflation a higher band means a different job and more expertise and/or responsibility

You have to apply for higher band jobs

The difference in take home pay between a top band 6 and the first 2 years in a band 7 role is £50 a month.

Still bewildered by the suggestion that everyone in the NHS just keeps rising through the bands over time. Meaning there are Band 9 roles for everyone, eventually.

I was a 8b and the band 6 in my team had been there for about 15 years. We did reband her role to band 7 as she took on additional responsibilities.

I’m a bit worried given OP’s other post about pay that she’s been in a band 6 for a while and hasn’t worked out how it works (not to mention that getting to G7 is not just about “doing some courses”).

@ItTook9Years I think that’s a bit unfair actually. I haven’t seen the other thread, but there are a huge variety of NHS roles - extra training or experience is the difference between bands in my role. What stops us from moving up is largely down to no vacancies or simply a lack of desire to. ‘Doing a few courses’ would certainly help.
(I would be delighted with moving up through the bands till I reach a 9 though……)

Mind sharing what the 'usually a bit more than a few extra courses/certifications' are on non clinical roles.

It is unclear to me - is it an offense to ask this question while in B6.

My contract does not include this information, and I do not know what B7 does in my team. I WFH therefore I do not even know who B7 are

Maybe you should spend some time with them. How come your work is so isolated?

what’s the nature of the work? There are lots of non-clinical functions so hard to give detail on differences.

Under AfC there are 16 factors which are scored, and then the overall score dictates the banding of the role. Some factors are essential, eg you can’t be a band 7 if you have no/little freedom to act. The guidance is available online. But you could also see what roles in your field are being advertised in the NHS now to see what the expectations are. (My band 7 job description was 13 pages long.)

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles

Have alook here, somewhere in there you can find detailed job descriptions and explanations of what makes a role the band it is.

No one can really answer unless they know what role you do. Eg in an accountancy role then a B7 would be at masters level or working towards masters (equivalent in accountancy exams)

NHS contracts will include the pay information eg £Xxxxx- £Xxxxx so it will be clear that the top of band is just that.

It is unusual to not know your team structure, probably worth chatting to your manager to ask what your next steps could be although this should be covered in regular 1:1s and your annual appraisal.

I'm in Tech, I've worked a few NHS contracting jobs, but the package is so different when on perm role

The package is different but the role shouldn’t be.