Band 2 pay in England, 2026/27

Band 2 in England, what the role involves

Band 2 covers most entry-level support roles across the NHS. Healthcare assistants on hospital wards, porters, domestic staff, catering assistants, receptionists and ward clerks are all typically banded here. It is the most common starting point for staff joining the NHS without a clinical or academic qualification, and for many people it is also the longest band they will be on. A lot of long-serving NHS staff stay at Band 2 because the work suits them, not because they cannot progress.

Day-to-day work depends on the role. A healthcare assistant helps patients with washing, dressing, eating, moving around the ward and basic clinical observations like temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, all under the supervision of a registered nurse. A porter moves patients between wards, theatres and X-ray, plus equipment and medical samples around the hospital. A receptionist or ward clerk handles the front desk, patient records, phone calls and appointments.

How NHS pay is set in England

England has the largest NHS workforce of the four UK nations and sets the reference pay scale for the Agenda for Change framework. Pay is negotiated by NHS Employers on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, following the recommendation of the independent NHS Pay Review Body. Wales and Northern Ireland usually adopt the same recommendation; Scotland negotiates separately and consistently pays more.

Each year, NHS Employers and the trade unions submit detailed evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body. The Review Body hears the evidence, decides on a recommended uplift, and submits its report to the UK Government in the spring. The government then accepts, modifies or rejects the recommendation. The agreed uplift is published as a Pay Advisory Notice on the NHS Employers website and applied to the AfC scale with effect from 1 April, normally backdated by a month or two so staff see arrears alongside their first new monthly payslip.

How Band 2 pay in England compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 2 in England, staff earn £25,272 per year for 2026/27. Scotland pays Band 2 more at the top of band: £28,988, a difference of £3,716 per year (14.7% more than England).

Pay for Band 2 is identical in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in cash terms, because the same Pay Review Body recommendation applies. Scotland sets its own Band 2 rate through the Scottish Government and normally pays a few thousand pounds more, with two pay points on the band rather than one. Wales has historically lifted the lowest entry rates slightly above England's, and in 2025/26 the Welsh Band 2 entry was £368 above the English figure.

Recent NHS pay history in England

Three recent settlements give the picture. 2024/25 saw a flat £1,400 uplift to every Band 2 to 8c pay point, plus a 5% rise for Band 8d and Band 9. 2025/26 applied a consolidated 3.6% uplift to every pay point, worth roughly £1,090 at Band 5 entry. The 2026/27 deal is a 3.3% consolidated uplift, recommended by the PRB and accepted by the government in early 2026.