HC Deb 01 July 1999 vol 334 cc277-9W
Mr. Sawford

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the salary scales for trainee and newly qualified biomedical scientists. [88832]

Mr. Denham

Biomedical scientists are classed as medical laboratory scientific officers (MLSOs) for pay and grading purposes. Their pay scales are attached to a common pay spine for National Health Service Professional and Technical Staff. The current pay scale for trainee MLSOs, effective since 1 December 1998 is:

Spine point £
00 7,476
01 7,726
02 7,988
03 8,260
04 8,544
05 8,839
06 9,146
07 9,463
08 9,796

The MLSO Grade 1 pay scale is used for newly qualified biomedical scientists. The current pay scale effective from 1 December 1998 is:

Spine point £
00 11,812
01 12,286
02 12,777
03 13,290
04 13,822
05 14,375
06 14,949
07 15,546
08 116,169
09 116,817
10 117,486

Pay is negotiated in the Professional and Technical Staffs Whitley Council. Staff Side are consulting their members on the NHS Management Side's offer of: an increase in national pay scales for PTB staff of 3 per cent. an increase of 13.5 per cent. in London Weighting Allowances which will restore them to 1995 values additional increases for staff working in cytology screening, with trainee cytology screeners getting 6.6 per cent. and qualified cytology screeners getting up to 11.4 per cent. additional increases for staff in the MLSO grades, with trainee MLSOs getting up to 26 per cent., and MLSO1 s and some MLSO2s getting 7.1 per cent.

If accepted this offer would produce a new pay scale for trainee MLSOs of:

Spine point £
00 9,420
01 9,747
02 10,090
03 10,443

And a new pay scale for MLSO1s of:

Spine point £
15 12,655
16 13,160
17 13,689
18 14,237
19 14,806
20 15,397
21 16,012
22 16,654
23 117,322
24 118,011
25 118,734
1Employing authorities may advance the position of a grade scale (other than that of a trainee) on the pay spine by up to three points for posts which carry additional responsibilities or require specialist skills but which do not warrant a higher grade.

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