NHS pay rise 2025/26
The 2025/26 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 2025/26 deal landed
The 2025/26 pay round delivered a 3.6% consolidated uplift across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's multi-year deal applied 4.4% to its 2024/25 figures after its inflation guarantee was triggered.
The NHS Pay Review Body recommended 3.6% in its 38th report. The UK Government accepted the recommendation, with NHS Employers publishing the new pay scales on 22 May 2025 and the uplift backdated to 1 April 2025. Wales and Northern Ireland adopted the same percentage. Scotland's 4.25% deal-implied figure for 2025/26 was lifted to 4.4% in early 2026 when CPI inflation was confirmed at 3.4%, triggering the inflation guarantee in the Scottish multi-year settlement.
Uplift by nation
Cash impact at the most-searched bands
For staff in England, the 2025/26 pay rise translates into the following annual cash increases at entry to the most common bands.
| Band | 2024/25 entry | 2025/26 entry | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 | £29,970 | £31,049 | +£1,079 | +3.6% |
| Band 6 | £37,338 | £38,682 | +£1,344 | +3.6% |
| Band 7 | £46,148 | £47,810 | +£1,662 | +3.6% |
Union response to the 2025/26 deal
The 2025/26 deal was accepted without industrial action across the four nations. Most union ballots showed members reluctantly accepting the offer rather than backing strike action, which contrasted with the strike-heavy 2022 and 2023 rounds. The settlement was helped by a stronger headline figure than the previous several years and the addition of intermediate pay points for Bands 8a-9 in 2024/25, which had improved pay progression for senior staff.
Structural changes
Every pay point moved up by 3.6% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland by 4.4%. The pay scale structure (number of steps, progression years) was unchanged from 2024/25. The new intermediate steps for Bands 8a through 9 introduced in 2024/25 remained, giving senior staff an explicit progression point rather than the previous single-step structure.
England
Pay scales for 2025/26 — NHS Employers
| 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 |
England pay scales for 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: Pay scales for 2025/26 — NHS Employers.
Scotland
PCS(AFC)2026/1 — Pay and conditions for NHS staff covered by AfC
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £25,597 | 1 | Single rate | £13.09 |
| Band 2 | £25,731 | 2 | £27,941 | £14.29 |
| Band 3 | £28,051 | 2 | £30,274 | £15.48 |
| Band 4 | £30,397 | 2 | £33,063 | £16.91 |
| Band 5 | £33,295 | 3 | £41,483 | £21.21 |
| Band 6 | £41,668 | 3 | £50,775 | £25.97 |
| Band 7 | £50,935 | 3 | £59,244 | £30.30 |
| Band 8a | £62,772 | 2 | £67,762 | £34.65 |
| Band 8b | £74,109 | 2 | £79,278 | £40.54 |
| Band 8c | £87,526 | 2 | £93,820 | £47.98 |
| Band 8d | £103,913 | 2 | £108,362 | £55.42 |
| Band 9 | £122,912 | 2 | £128,236 | £65.58 |
Scotland pay scales for 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: PCS(AFC)2026/1 — Pay and conditions for NHS staff covered by AfC.
Wales
AfC(W) 02/2025 — Agenda for change payscales 2025/2026
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £24,833 | 1 | Single rate | £12.70 |
| Band 2 | £24,833 | 1 | Single rate | £12.70 |
| Band 3 | £25,313 | 2 | £26,999 | £13.81 |
| Band 4 | £27,898 | 2 | £30,615 | £15.66 |
| Band 5 | £31,516 | 3 | £38,364 | £19.62 |
| Band 6 | £39,263 | 3 | £47,280 | £24.18 |
| Band 7 | £48,527 | 3 | £55,532 | £28.40 |
| Band 8a | £56,514 | 3 | £63,623 | £32.54 |
| Band 8b | £65,424 | 3 | £76,021 | £38.88 |
| Band 8c | £78,120 | 3 | £90,013 | £46.03 |
| Band 8d | £92,713 | 3 | £106,919 | £54.68 |
| Band 9 | £110,818 | 3 | £127,523 | £65.22 |
Wales pay scales for 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: AfC(W) 02/2025 — Agenda for change payscales 2025/2026.
Northern Ireland
HSC (AfC) 06/2025 — Agenda for Change Pay Arrangements 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.
Common questions about the 2025/26 pay rise
- How much was the NHS pay rise in 2025/26?
- In England the headline pay rise was 3.6%. In cash terms, Band 5 entry rose from £29,970 to £31,049 (+£1,079); Band 6 entry rose from £37,338 to £38,682 (+£1,344); Band 7 entry rose from £46,148 to £47,810 (+£1,662).
- When was the 2025/26 NHS pay rise paid?
- The new England pay rates were backdated to 2025-04-01. 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 2025/26?
- 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.
- When was the 2025/26 NHS pay rise paid?
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland staff saw the new rate in their June or July 2025 payslip with arrears back to 1 April. Scotland's 4.4% revision was paid out in February and March 2026 after the inflation guarantee was triggered, with arrears back to 1 April 2025.
- How much was the 2025/26 uplift in cash?
- A Band 5 newly qualified nurse saw entry pay rise from £29,970 to £31,049, a £1,079 annual increase. A Band 6 specialist nurse went from £37,338 to £38,682, up £1,344. A Band 7 ward manager at the top step moved from £52,809 to £54,710, a £1,901 increase.
- Was the 2025/26 deal accepted by unions?
- Yes, all major NHS unions accepted the 2025/26 settlement without industrial action. The RCN, Unison, Unite and others ran consultative ballots; while many members described the offer as below what they felt they deserved, the majority view was to accept rather than strike.