NHS pay in Wales, 2026/27
Latest pay deal effective 2026-04-01, a 3.3% uplift on the previous year. Pay is negotiated by Welsh Government (NHS Wales Employers).
Wales pay scale, 2026/27
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £26,300 | 1 | Single rate | £13.45 |
| Band 2 | £26,300 | 1 | Single rate | £13.45 |
| Band 3 | £26,300 | 2 | £27,890 | £14.26 |
| Band 4 | £28,819 | 2 | £31,626 | £16.17 |
| Band 5 | £32,557 | 3 | £39,631 | £20.27 |
| Band 6 | £40,559 | 3 | £48,841 | £24.98 |
| Band 7 | £50,129 | 3 | £57,365 | £29.34 |
| Band 8a | £58,379 | 3 | £65,723 | £33.61 |
| Band 8b | £67,583 | 3 | £78,530 | £40.16 |
| Band 8c | £80,698 | 3 | £92,984 | £47.55 |
| Band 8d | £95,773 | 3 | £110,448 | £56.48 |
| Band 9 | £114,475 | 3 | £131,732 | £67.37 |
Wales pay scales for 2026/27, effective 2026-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: AfC(W) 02/2026 — Agenda for change payscales 2026/2027.
About Wales NHS pay
NHS Wales follows the same Agenda for Change framework as the rest of the UK but issues its own pay circulars (AfC(W) letters) signed off by the Welsh Government's Health and Social Services Group. Welsh settlements have historically tracked England closely, although the 2025/26 deal pulled Welsh entry rates slightly ahead at the bottom of the scale.
How Wales sets NHS pay
The Welsh Government considers the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation alongside its own pay strategy. Welsh ministers usually adopt the PRB uplift, but they have occasionally gone further or applied it differently for specific bands. Pay circulars are published by the Health and Social Services Group and apply from 1 April with backdated arrears paid later in the year.
Recent settlements
The 2025/26 settlement applied a 3.6% consolidated uplift, mirroring England in percentage terms. Welsh Band 3 entry was lifted to £25,313 (slightly above England's £24,937), reflecting the Welsh Government's stated commitment to keep the lowest entry rates above the Living Wage Foundation real Living Wage. The 2026/27 deal applied 3.3% on top, again broadly in line with England.
What Wales staff actually take home
Welsh NHS staff have benefited from broadly similar pay to England, with small advantages at the bottom of the scale. The 2022 to 2023 round of strikes affected Wales too, with RCN members taking action over both pay and safe staffing. The picture is now more settled, with the most recent settlements accepted without dispute.
Jump to a band in Wales
Pay history
Recent annual pay rounds for Wales. Each year page shows the full table for every band.
Wales common questions
- Does Welsh NHS pay differ from English in cash terms?
- Pay scales are close but not identical. Wales applies its own circular each year and has chosen to lift the lowest entry rates above England. For Band 5 and above, the difference is typically less than £500 a year and sometimes Wales is fractionally below England at certain steps. For Band 2 and Band 3, Wales has been around £400 a year ahead in recent years.
- Where are the Welsh Agenda for Change circulars published?
- On the NHS Wales website, in the Pay and Conditions Resources section. Each circular is numbered, for example AfC(W) 02/2025 for the 2025/26 deal and AfC(W) 02/2026 for the 2026/27 deal. The circulars are PDF letters that include both the cover narrative and the full pay tables.
- Do Welsh NHS staff get London weighting?
- No. London weighting (HCAS) is specific to English NHS Trusts inside the defined Inner, Outer and Fringe zones around London. Welsh NHS staff don't receive HCAS, and Wales doesn't have an equivalent regional supplement. There are some recruitment and retention premia at individual Trusts, but these are local arrangements rather than a national pay framework.
- Are Welsh NHS staff on the UK income tax rates?
- Yes. Wales is part of the UK tax regime, so Welsh NHS staff pay the same basic, higher and additional rates as English NHS staff. The Welsh Rates of Income Tax (WRIT) framework exists but has been set to match the rUK rates in every year since it began, so in practice there is no difference for take-home pay between an English and Welsh NHS worker.