§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the changes to working patterns resulting from the Agenda for Change settlement will take effect in acute hospitals. [87535]
§ Mr. HuttonSubject to the outcome of staff side consultation, the new national health service pay system is expected to be introduced in 'early implementer' sites, including some acute hospitals, in June 2003 and will be implemented across the rest of the NHS from October 2004. The new pay system will give NHS organisations much greater flexibility to design jobs and working practices around the needs of NHS patients both in the short term following implementation and on an ongoing basis in the future.