Is NHS Northern Ireland the same as NHS England for pay?

Yes, in cash terms. HSC adopts the PRB recommendation that applies in England, so pay tables are identical at every band and step. The structural and contractual rules around HSC employment differ in some areas (notably unsocial hours and the integration with social care), but the headline pay scale is the same.

When are NI HSC pay circulars published?

Usually later in the calendar year than the English equivalent. The 2025/26 HSC (AfC) 06/2025 circular was published on 3 December 2025, with pay backdated to 1 April 2025. The 2026/27 circular is expected in the second half of 2026.

Do HSC staff in Northern Ireland get London weighting or similar?

No. There is no NI equivalent of the High Cost Area Supplement. Some HSC Trusts run local recruitment and retention premia for shortage specialties, but these are local arrangements rather than a national framework.

Are HSC pay deals delayed by Stormont politics?

Sometimes. When the Northern Ireland Executive is not functioning, civil servants can issue interim circulars to implement pay rises, but they cannot make new policy decisions or agree multi-year deals. Recent settlements have been delayed by months waiting for Executive agreement, with staff receiving backdated arrears once the deal is finally signed off.

NHS pay in Northern Ireland, 2025/26

Latest pay deal effective 2025-04-01, a 3.6% uplift on the previous year. Pay is negotiated by Department of Health (Workforce Policy Directorate).

Northern Ireland pay scale, 2025/26

Band	Minimum	Steps	Maximum	Hourly at top
Band 1 closed	£24,465	1	Single rate	£12.51
Band 2	£24,465	1	Single rate	£12.51
Band 3	£24,937	2	£26,598	£13.60
Band 4	£27,485	2	£30,162	£15.43
Band 5	£31,049	3	£37,796	£19.33
Band 6	£38,682	3	£46,580	£23.82
Band 7	£47,810	3	£54,710	£27.98
Band 8a	£55,690	3	£62,682	£32.06
Band 8b	£64,455	3	£74,896	£38.30
Band 8c	£76,965	3	£88,682	£45.35
Band 8d	£91,342	3	£105,337	£53.87
Band 9	£109,179	3	£125,637	£64.25

Northern Ireland pay scales for 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: HSC (AfC) 06/2025 — Agenda for Change Pay Arrangements 2025/26.

About Northern Ireland NHS pay

Health and Social Care (HSC) staff in Northern Ireland sit on the same Agenda for Change framework as the rest of the UK. Pay is set by the Department of Health's Workforce Policy Directorate, which usually adopts the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation. Pay circulars are published as HSC (AfC) letters and apply to staff across the integrated HSC Trusts rather than separate NHS Trusts.

How Northern Ireland sets NHS pay

Northern Ireland's health service is integrated with social care, so Agenda for Change covers HSC Trusts rather than NHS Trusts only. The Department of Health takes the PRB recommendation, secures Executive approval (when there is a functioning Executive), and issues an HSC (AfC) pay arrangement circular. Pay is usually applied from 1 April with arrears paid later in the year, often after a delay caused by political processes at Stormont.

Recent settlements

The 2025/26 settlement applied a 3.6% consolidated uplift, matching England and Wales in percentage terms. The previous round (2024/25) was delayed by Executive politics but eventually delivered. The 2026/27 settlement is expected later in 2026 following the PRB report and Executive approval. NI HSC pay has consistently tracked England exactly because the Department of Health applies the PRB recommendation in full.

What Northern Ireland staff actually take home

NI HSC pay tracks England exactly because the Department of Health applies the same PRB recommendation. The main differences are administrative: HSC employs through five integrated Trusts rather than separate NHS Trusts, and unsocial hours rules in Section 3 of the HSC handbook differ slightly from the GB Section 2 arrangements. RCN, Unison and the NIPSA have all taken industrial action in NI in recent years, often over delays in implementing the agreed pay deal rather than the deal itself.

Jump to a band in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland common questions

Is NHS Northern Ireland the same as NHS England for pay?: Yes, in cash terms. HSC adopts the PRB recommendation that applies in England, so pay tables are identical at every band and step. The structural and contractual rules around HSC employment differ in some areas (notably unsocial hours and the integration with social care), but the headline pay scale is the same.
When are NI HSC pay circulars published?: Usually later in the calendar year than the English equivalent. The 2025/26 HSC (AfC) 06/2025 circular was published on 3 December 2025, with pay backdated to 1 April 2025. The 2026/27 circular is expected in the second half of 2026.
Do HSC staff in Northern Ireland get London weighting or similar?: No. There is no NI equivalent of the High Cost Area Supplement. Some HSC Trusts run local recruitment and retention premia for shortage specialties, but these are local arrangements rather than a national framework.
Are HSC pay deals delayed by Stormont politics?: Sometimes. When the Northern Ireland Executive is not functioning, civil servants can issue interim circulars to implement pay rises, but they cannot make new policy decisions or agree multi-year deals. Recent settlements have been delayed by months waiting for Executive agreement, with staff receiving backdated arrears once the deal is finally signed off.