Nurses pay is covered by the deal

Twelve trusts will introduce the scheme before a national roll-out begins in October this year.

The Agenda for Change deal will see around one million NHS workers' pay increase by around 10% over three years.

We have taken one more step forward. Union, employers and government statement

It introduces new pay bands for all NHS staff except doctors and managers, replacing the existing range of pay structures.

Health unions have been balloting members over whether they wanted to accept the deal.

Following yes votes, the deal will be introduced at these 12 hospitals :-

• James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust,
• Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust,
• City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust,
• Papworth Hospital NHS Trust,
• Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust,
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust,
• South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust,
• West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust,
• Herefordshire NHS Primary Care Trust,
• Central Cheshire Primary Care Trust,
• North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust,
• East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust.

The first wave of foundation hospitals will also introduce the pay structure.

'Good outcome'

In a joint statement, unions, employers' and representatives from the four UK's Departments of Health, said: "Modernising the NHS pay system is important, not only to ensure staff are rewarded fairly for what they do, but to help deliver fast, modern services for patients.

"Today we have taken one more step forward. There is much still to do.

"We will continue to support and promote a partnership approach to early implementation in all the selected sites.

"This will include monitoring progress and working constructively with them to resolve any issues."