Band 1 pay in Scotland, 2026/27

Band 1 in Scotland, 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 Scotland

NHS Scotland negotiates its own pay deals through the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee, separately from the UK Pay Review Body process. Scottish settlements consistently pay more than England, Wales and Northern Ireland at every band. Pay circulars are published by the Scottish Government Health Workforce Directorate as PCS(AFC) letters.

Scotland uses a partnership negotiation model rather than the Pay Review Body. The Scottish Government, NHS Scotland employers and the trade unions agree settlements directly through the Scottish Workforce and Governance Committee. Recent deals have included an inflation guarantee, meaning the headline uplift is adjusted upwards if CPI inflation exceeds expectations. That's a meaningful difference from the rest of the UK: NHS Scotland staff don't lose money if inflation spikes.

How Band 1 pay in Scotland compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 1 in Scotland, staff earn £26,557 per year for 2026/27. Scotland is the highest-paying UK nation for Band 1 at the top of band, paying £257 more per year than Wales.

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 Scotland

The 2024/25 to 2026/27 settlement was originally agreed as a multi-year deal at 5.5%, 4.25% and 3.75% respectively. The 2024/25 component delivered 5.5%. For 2025/26, the inflation guarantee triggered (CPI confirmed at 3.4% versus the 3.25% deal-implied figure), so the 4.25% was lifted to 4.4%. The 2026/27 deal stays at 3.75%, applied to the revised 2025/26 baseline.