NHS pay will rise under the new deal

The Agenda for Change proposals, to be rolled out next month, will usher in a minimum NHS wage of �5.69 an hour.

They were backed on Tuesday at a meeting of the NHS Staff Council, at which staff and management representatives come together.

Two major unions, Unison and Amicus, voted in favour of the proposals earlier this month.

Today's agreement signals the start of something new and exciting for the NHS. Alastair Henderson

The plans had previously been endorsed by organisations including the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.

Dave Prentis, Unison's general secretary, said: "It's taken five years, but today we see the birth of a new NHS which will deliver fairer pay and greater opportunity for over one million staff.

"The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe and, as a result of Agenda for Change, it will become a beacon employer for the public and private sector.

"It's an equal pay system designed to cut out the inequalities and demarcations that were rife in the current antiquated pay system and will mean an immediate pay rise for 92% of staff."

Good for patients

Health Secretary John Reid said he was "delighted" with the backing for the government's plans.

"Their decision is further positive endorsement of the biggest pay reform in the history of the NHS.

"Agenda for Change is not just a great deal for staff, but good for patients too.

"It means more opportunities for staff to enhance their skills and work more flexibly, so patients will experience better, faster care and get more choice by having treatments at times more convenient to them.

"Along with the new contracts we have introduced for consultants and GPs, Agenda for Change is the final piece in the jigsaw, bringing greater quality to the heart of all the care that the NHS provides."

Alastair Henderson, deputy director of NHS Employers, also said that both the NHS workforce and patients would benefit from the agreement.

"Today's agreement signals the start of something new and exciting for the NHS."

Members of Amicus, which represents 80,000 health service workers, voted by 56% in favour of Agenda for Change.

The yes vote among members of Unison, the biggest of all the health unions with more than 120,000 members, was 75%.