NHS Band 8a pay 2023/24
Band 8a salaries in England for 2023/24 ran from £50,952 at entry to £57,349 at the top step. Pay rose 5% versus 2022/23 pay scales. Backdated to 2023-04-01.
Band 8a pay scale, 2023/24
| Step | Years from entry | Annual | Hourly (37.5h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | From day one | £50,952 | £26.06 |
| Top | After 5 years | £57,349 | £29.33 |
| Full range | £50,952 to £57,349 | £26.06 to £29.33 | |
England, 2023/24, effective 2023-04-01. Source: Pay scales for 2023/24 [Archived] — NHS Employers.
All Agenda for Change pay scales for 2023/24 were backdated to 1 April 2023. Salaries are subject to UK income tax, Class 1 National Insurance and NHS pension contributions. Use the take-home calculator for a personalised estimate.
The 2023/24 NHS pay deal in context
The 2023/24 pay round delivered a 5% consolidated uplift for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland delivered a 6.5% consolidated uplift on top of a one-off £387 non-consolidated payment, plus structural pay scale adjustments at Band 8b and above to address pay compression.
The 2023/24 deal followed a turbulent period of NHS pay disputes, including widespread strike action by RCN, Unison and other unions through late 2022 and early 2023. The UK Government's final offer in March 2023 included a 5% consolidated uplift to all Agenda for Change pay points plus a one-off non-consolidated payment of £1,250 to £1,655. The PRB process was effectively pre-empted by the negotiated settlement. Scotland negotiated separately, agreeing a 6.5% consolidated uplift plus £387 non-consolidated, with additional structural adjustments at senior bands.
The 2023/24 pay scale moved up by 5% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (6.5% in Scotland) but the structural reform was minimal at lower bands. Scotland made structural adjustments to compress the gap at Band 8b and above. The one-off non-consolidated payment did not feed into future pay scale calculations, so its long-term effect was less than the headline number suggested.
Year-on-year change for Band 8a
Compared with 2022/23, Band 8a entry pay rose by £2,426 (5.0%) . Top-of-band pay rose by £2,730 (5.0%). The following year, 2024/25, Band 8a entry pay moved to £53,755.
- Previous year entry
- £48,526
- This year entry
- £50,952
2022/23
+ 5.0% vs previous year
Union response to the 2023/24 deal
Industrial action characterised the run-up to the 2023/24 deal. The RCN balloted members for strike action for the first time in its 106-year history, and Unison, Unite and the GMB ran similar ballots. England saw nurse strikes in December 2022 and January, February and May 2023, with ambulance staff also striking. The final settlement was accepted reluctantly by most unions, with the RCN narrowly rejecting it but the broader NHS Staff Council voting to accept on the basis that it was the best achievable outcome.
Common questions about Band 8a pay in 2023/24
- How much did Band 8a pay increase in 2023/24?
- Band 8a entry pay in England rose from £48,526 to £50,952 (5.0%). Top-of-band pay rose from £54,619 to £57,349 (5.0%).
- When was the 2023/24 Band 8a pay rise paid?
- The new Band 8a rates were backdated to 2023-04-01. In most NHS Trusts the uplift first showed in the payslip a few months later, with arrears for the backdated period paid alongside the first new monthly rate.
- What is the hourly rate for Band 8a in 2023/24?
- Based on a 37.5-hour standard NHS week, Band 8a entry pay of £50,952 works out at £26.06 per hour. Top-of-band pay of £57,349 works out at £29.33 per hour.
- Why were there NHS strikes in 2022 and 2023?
- Inflation in 2022 ran at over 10%, while the 2022/23 pay award had been roughly 4%. Real-terms pay was falling significantly, on top of years of below-inflation settlements since 2010. The combination tipped union ballots over the 50% turnout threshold required by trade union law, leading to the first nationwide RCN strikes in the union's history.
- Did NHS staff get a one-off bonus in 2023/24?
- Yes. The 2023/24 settlement included a one-off non-consolidated payment of between £1,250 and £1,655 depending on band, paid in two instalments in 2023. The payment did not become part of the substantive pay scale, so it did not feed into future annual uplifts.
- Why did Scotland get more than England in 2023/24?
- Scotland's deal was negotiated separately by the Scottish Government and Scottish unions, rather than through the UK-wide Pay Review Body. The Scottish offer was 6.5% consolidated plus a one-off payment, compared to England's 5% consolidated. The higher Scottish settlement reflected a deliberate Scottish Government policy of paying NHS staff above the rest-of-UK rate to support recruitment and retention.