Band 1 pay in Northern Ireland, 2025/26

Band 1 in Northern Ireland, what the role involves

Band 1 is the lowest pay band on the Agenda for Change scale and it has been closed to new entrants for over a decade. The roles that historically sat at Band 1 (mostly domestic, driver and housekeeping work) were re-evaluated and moved up to Band 2 in 2018 to keep them above the National Living Wage. A small number of staff remain on Band 1 today, because they were employed before the change took effect and never moved to a new contract.

Band 1 work was traditionally focused on keeping NHS sites running rather than direct patient care. Typical duties included cleaning wards and clinical areas, transporting laundry and supplies, basic housekeeping, and minibus driving for patient transport services. If you see a Band 1 role described in any Trust documentation today, treat it as a legacy reference rather than a live vacancy.

How NHS pay is set in Northern Ireland

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.

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.

How Band 1 pay in Northern Ireland compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 1 in Northern Ireland, staff earn £24,465 per year for 2025/26. Scotland pays Band 1 more at the top of band: £26,557, a difference of £2,092 per year (8.6% more than Northern Ireland).

All four nations of the UK have closed Band 1 to new entrants. The few remaining Band 1 staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are paid the same rate as Band 2 entry. In Scotland the rate is also aligned with the lowest Living Wage spinal point.

Recent NHS pay history in Northern Ireland

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.