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National job profiles are summaries of commonly occurring roles. NHS jobs are matched to the profiles to determine your pay band, affecting how much you get paid.

For years, we've called for new, accurate job profiles that properly recognise your knowledge, skills and responsibility. Thanks to our campaigning, the new profiles more accurately reflect modern nursing. 

The NHS Staff Council’s Job Evaluation Group reviewed and redrafted job profiles for bands 2 and 3 in 2021. The latest review looked at all other Agenda for Change bands. We've contributed to the consultations at every stage, making sure your voice has been heard.

We believe the new profiles, supported by an accessible, transparent and timely job evaluation process, will mean you're properly rewarded, alongside fair pay awards each year. 

Choose a band to understand the key changes in the new job profiles.

The band 4a profile has been updated to ensure the role reflects that of a nursing associate: namely, that it is the role of the nursing associate to provide, monitor and contribute to care delivery and it is the responsibility of the registered nurse to assess, plan and evaluate care.

The band 5 profile has been updated to more accurately reflect the role and responsibilities of a band 5 registrant with a view to supporting career progression into the band 6 profile.

The band 6 profile is split between a specialist (6i) and team leader (6ii). There has been significant change to the narrative examples within both profiles.  

For the band 6i (previous specialist) profile, the aim was to ensure that the specialist nature of the role was reflected and could be clearly differentiated with the band 5. The knowledge, training and education wording is quite lengthy to ensure the breadth at which nursing staff gain knowledge was reflected. There is also a corresponding increase in the communication and responsibility factors to reflect that the 6a role is a step up from the band 5 role. 

The band 6ii (previous team leader) profile has also had significant changes to the narrative examples. This profile may support current band 5 registrants who are taking on additional responsibilities, for example as shift leader or person in charge in the absence of the relevant manager.  The new profile captures the responsibilities of current band 5 who are taking on the role of shift leader. This is reflected in the non-bold narrative examples across several factors, including: 

• Knowledge, training and education: Now includes ‘Breadth of knowledge gained through experience to be able to work autonomously e.g. in the community.’ ‘This could include experience of day-to-day operational management, leadership or mentorship of a clinical team’ 
• Analytical and judgement: this includes staffing issues as an example 
• Planning and Organisation: includes examples of non-complex rotas/on-the-day adjustments and delegation, and complex discharge planning involving other agencies
• Finance: this included 2d, which is the signing off of timesheets. This was removed from the band 5 to support that step change and align with the shift leader responsibilities 
• Human Resources (HR): has broadened to be relevant to a shift leader role 
• Freedom to act: includes a step change to demonstrate that the role holder ‘Works independently… deciding when necessary to escalate to senior clinician.’

The band 7(i) (previous Nurse Advanced) profile creates a step change with the band 6a profile. One of the significant changes to this profile is in relation to knowledge, training and education section, which has been amended to ensure that it is appropriate for a band 7.

The original narrative example stated: ‘Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist training to Master's equivalent level.’ 

The new wording is: ‘Professional and clinical knowledge acquired through degree, supplemented by specialist training, experience, short courses, CPD to Master’s Degree Level or equivalent.’ This should better support progression to this band.

The profile also distinguishes from the band 6 profiles in the narrative examples within:

• HR: this profile includes examples such as appraisals, recruitment, first level disciplinary and grievance, and work allocation
• Research and development: there's been a change from 'occasional' to 'regular' research and development activity
• Freedom to act: narrative example states that the role has, ‘…significant discretion to work within professional and/or a set of defined parameters…’ Another example included states the role, ‘Has responsibility for a defined caseload or locality in the community.’

The Band 7b (Team Manager) profile creates a step change with the band 6b profile to reflect the additional responsibilities of a team manager in relation to patient or client care and overall management of the ward.

The Band 8+ profiles have not changed significantly. The anecdotal evidence that the Job Evaluation Group received showed that these profiles were mostly used in job evaluation. 

We’re calling on governments to provide the funding required to support the job evaluation process and uplift staff to the correct band.

In England, it’s expected that employers will follow the NHS Staff Council guidance, which is a review of nursing and midwifery job descriptions, prioritising band 5. 

You can start by getting a copy of your job description and updating it to reflect the work you actually do.

In Northern Ireland, we're waiting for more detail. 

Health boards in Scotland are being advised not to act on the new national profiles just yet. A coordinated Scotland-wide approach to implementing and using the new national profiles will be developed. It will include how these profiles are to be used in the current Band 5 nursing roles review, which is in progress.

In Wales, expert groups will be set up to agree job descriptions across the country, which will be adopted by all health boards.