The Hospital Authority has announced a new starting salary structure proposal for nursing, allied health and other non-clinical staff who joined the body after April 2000.

The new entry pay for these ranks will be raised by two or three points from October 1. For existing staff whose salary is below the new entry point, their pay will be raised to the new level. For those whose salary is already on or above the new entry point, they will be granted one extra pay point subject to the maximum level of their pay scales.

An additional increment will be given to nurses who joined the authority between June 15, 2002, and December 31, 2005, and have worked for five full years. Subject to the approval of the Hospital Authority Board, the new salary structures will be implemented from October 1.

The proposed adjustments generally follow the approach used in civil service "normal conversion" exercise for starting salaries, the authority said.

"While I am aware that the arrangements proposed will not satisfy all concerned, I would like to appeal for understanding that this is the best the Hospital Authority is able to do right now," authority Chief Executive Shane Solomon said.

Workload standard

In developing these proposals, the authority has taken into consideration the recent grade review exercise results, civil service pay package equivalents, recruitment and retention difficulties, fairness and the authority's affordability, Mr Solomon said.

The salary change is just an initial step to respond to long-standing problems.

The authority will also develop a new ward standard to address nurses' concern on excessive workload, which will lead to a more standardised nurse-patient ratio across the authority.