Nurses Pay (Hansard, 26 October 1988)

§ Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being made to handle appeals over post allocations in the new nurses' pay structure.

§ Mr. Mellor
Appeals against grading decisions will be determined under the terms of the agreement set out in section 32 of the "General Whitley Council Conditions of Service Handbook," a copy of which is in the Library.

§ Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his definition of the term "continued responsibility" in relation to sisters in charge of hospital wards in the new nurses' pay structure.

§ Mr. Mellor
The term "continuing responsibility" is defined in annex D of the management guidance on implementation of the new grading structure for nurses and midwives (EL(88)P67) which the Department issued to health authorities in May. A copy of the guidance is in the Library.

§ Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide health authorities with additional funds to meet the cost of any successful appeals against post allocations in the new nurses pay structure.

§ Mr. Mellor
The funds allocated to health authorities are intended to cover all pay costs arising in the current financial year, including any costs arising from successful appeals about pay or grading.

§ Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Secretary of State for health if nurses will be graded in the new pay structure by the job they were doing on 1 April.

§ Mr. Mellor
Nurses will be assimilated to the new structure on the basis of their duties and responsibilities at 1 April 1988.