NHS pay rise 2023/24
The 2023/24 pay deal applied to all staff on Agenda for Change contracts. Each UK nation publishes its own circular: England and Wales follow the Pay Review Body recommendation, Scotland negotiates separately, and Northern Ireland implements once the Executive has signed off.
How the 2023/24 deal landed
The 2023/24 pay round delivered a 5% consolidated uplift for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland delivered a 6.5% consolidated uplift on top of a one-off £387 non-consolidated payment, plus structural pay scale adjustments at Band 8b and above to address pay compression.
The 2023/24 deal followed a turbulent period of NHS pay disputes, including widespread strike action by RCN, Unison and other unions through late 2022 and early 2023. The UK Government's final offer in March 2023 included a 5% consolidated uplift to all Agenda for Change pay points plus a one-off non-consolidated payment of £1,250 to £1,655. The PRB process was effectively pre-empted by the negotiated settlement. Scotland negotiated separately, agreeing a 6.5% consolidated uplift plus £387 non-consolidated, with additional structural adjustments at senior bands.
Uplift by nation
-
England
5%
Effective 2023-04-01
-
Scotland
6.5%
Effective 2023-04-01
-
Wales
5%
Effective 2023-04-01
-
Northern Ireland
Not published yet
Cash impact at the most-searched bands
For staff in England, the 2023/24 pay rise translates into the following annual cash increases at entry to the most common bands.
| Band | 2022/23 entry | 2023/24 entry | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 | £27,055 | £28,407 | +£1,352 | +5.0% |
| Band 6 | £33,706 | £35,392 | +£1,686 | +5.0% |
| Band 7 | £41,659 | £43,742 | +£2,083 | +5.0% |
Union response to the 2023/24 deal
Industrial action characterised the run-up to the 2023/24 deal. The RCN balloted members for strike action for the first time in its 106-year history, and Unison, Unite and the GMB ran similar ballots. England saw nurse strikes in December 2022 and January, February and May 2023, with ambulance staff also striking. The final settlement was accepted reluctantly by most unions, with the RCN narrowly rejecting it but the broader NHS Staff Council voting to accept on the basis that it was the best achievable outcome.
Structural changes
The 2023/24 pay scale moved up by 5% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (6.5% in Scotland) but the structural reform was minimal at lower bands. Scotland made structural adjustments to compress the gap at Band 8b and above. The one-off non-consolidated payment did not feed into future pay scale calculations, so its long-term effect was less than the headline number suggested.
England
Pay scales for 2023/24 [Archived] — NHS Employers
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £22,383 | 1 | Single rate | £11.45 |
| Band 2 | £22,383 | 1 | Single rate | £11.45 |
| Band 3 | £22,816 | 2 | £24,336 | £12.45 |
| Band 4 | £25,147 | 2 | £27,596 | £14.11 |
| Band 5 | £28,407 | 3 | £34,581 | £17.69 |
| Band 6 | £35,392 | 3 | £42,618 | £21.80 |
| Band 7 | £43,742 | 3 | £50,056 | £25.60 |
| Band 8a | £50,952 | 2 | £57,349 | £29.33 |
| Band 8b | £58,972 | 2 | £68,525 | £35.04 |
| Band 8c | £70,417 | 2 | £81,138 | £41.50 |
| Band 8d | £83,571 | 2 | £96,376 | £49.29 |
| Band 9 | £99,891 | 2 | £114,949 | £58.79 |
England pay scales for 2023/24, effective 2023-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: Pay scales for 2023/24 [Archived] — NHS Employers.
Scotland
PCS(AFC)2024/5 Annex A — 2023/24 baseline rates
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £23,240 | 1 | Single rate | £11.89 |
| Band 2 | £23,362 | 2 | £25,368 | £12.97 |
| Band 3 | £25,468 | 2 | £27,486 | £14.06 |
| Band 4 | £27,598 | 2 | £30,019 | £15.35 |
| Band 5 | £30,229 | 3 | £37,664 | £19.26 |
| Band 6 | £37,831 | 3 | £46,100 | £23.58 |
| Band 7 | £46,244 | 3 | £53,789 | £27.51 |
| Band 8a | £56,992 | 2 | £61,522 | £31.46 |
| Band 8b | £67,285 | 2 | £71,978 | £36.81 |
| Band 8c | £79,466 | 2 | £85,181 | £43.56 |
| Band 8d | £94,345 | 2 | £98,384 | £50.31 |
| Band 9 | £111,595 | 2 | £116,428 | £59.54 |
Scotland pay scales for 2023/24, effective 2023-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: PCS(AFC)2024/5 Annex A — 2023/24 baseline rates.
Wales
AfC(W) 04/2023 — Agenda for change payscales 2023/2024
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £22,720 | 1 | Single rate | £11.62 |
| Band 2 | £22,720 | 1 | Single rate | £11.62 |
| Band 3 | £23,159 | 2 | £24,701 | £12.63 |
| Band 4 | £25,524 | 2 | £28,010 | £14.32 |
| Band 5 | £28,834 | 3 | £35,099 | £17.95 |
| Band 6 | £35,922 | 3 | £43,257 | £22.12 |
| Band 7 | £44,398 | 3 | £50,807 | £25.98 |
| Band 8a | £51,706 | 2 | £58,210 | £29.77 |
| Band 8b | £59,857 | 2 | £69,553 | £35.57 |
| Band 8c | £71,473 | 2 | £82,355 | £42.12 |
| Band 8d | £84,825 | 2 | £97,822 | £50.03 |
| Band 9 | £101,390 | 2 | £116,673 | £59.67 |
Wales pay scales for 2023/24, effective 2023-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: AfC(W) 04/2023 — Agenda for change payscales 2023/2024.
Common questions about the 2023/24 pay rise
- How much was the NHS pay rise in 2023/24?
- In England the headline pay rise was 5%. In cash terms, Band 5 entry rose from £27,055 to £28,407 (+£1,352); Band 6 entry rose from £33,706 to £35,392 (+£1,686); Band 7 entry rose from £41,659 to £43,742 (+£2,083).
- When was the 2023/24 NHS pay rise paid?
- The new England pay rates were backdated to 2023-04-01. In most Trusts the new rate first showed in monthly pay a few months after the official circular was published, with arrears for the backdated period paid alongside the first new monthly rate. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland followed their own implementation timetables.
- Did Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get the same pay rise in 2023/24?
- Each UK nation negotiates separately. England and Wales usually follow the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation, Scotland negotiates directly with trade unions, and Northern Ireland needs Executive sign-off. The headline percentage and the structural shape of the deal can differ between nations.
- Why were there NHS strikes in 2022 and 2023?
- Inflation in 2022 ran at over 10%, while the 2022/23 pay award had been roughly 4%. Real-terms pay was falling significantly, on top of years of below-inflation settlements since 2010. The combination tipped union ballots over the 50% turnout threshold required by trade union law, leading to the first nationwide RCN strikes in the union's history.
- Did NHS staff get a one-off bonus in 2023/24?
- Yes. The 2023/24 settlement included a one-off non-consolidated payment of between £1,250 and £1,655 depending on band, paid in two instalments in 2023. The payment did not become part of the substantive pay scale, so it did not feed into future annual uplifts.
- Why did Scotland get more than England in 2023/24?
- Scotland's deal was negotiated separately by the Scottish Government and Scottish unions, rather than through the UK-wide Pay Review Body. The Scottish offer was 6.5% consolidated plus a one-off payment, compared to England's 5% consolidated. The higher Scottish settlement reflected a deliberate Scottish Government policy of paying NHS staff above the rest-of-UK rate to support recruitment and retention.