The Review Body's remit for 2012/13 continues to be constrained by the UK Government's and Devolved Administrations' public pay sector policies. The remit is narrowed to consideration of pay recommendations for NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) staff earning £21,000 or less and any cases presented regarding high cost area supplements (HCAS) and recruitment and retention premia (RRP). An uplift of £250 is recommended for AfC staff earning £21,000 or less. The Body also comments on general workforce issues in the NHS.

Evidence submitted to the NHS Pay Review Body.

This is the 25th report from the NHS Pay Review Body and was conducted within the context of the public sector pay policies of the UK Government and Devolved Administrations which announced a two-year pay freeze, except for public sector workers earning £21,000 or less. The Review Body therefore recommends the following: that an uplift of £250 to Agenda for Change (AfC - which is the current NHS grading and pay system for all NHS staff, with the exception of doctors, dentists and some senior managers) spine points 1 to 15 from 1 April 2011, based on the assessment that there is no recruitment and retension evidence to justify an increase above the single uniform uplift of £250 proposed by the Health Departments; that a national recruitment and retension policy (RRP) should not be implemented for pharmacists in bands 6 and 7, although the Review Body will continue to monitor the situation; that there is no substantive evidence to support the case presented by the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) for a national RRP for building craft workers. The publication is divided into five chapters, with seven appendices.