How much was the NHS pay rise in 2026/27?

In England the headline pay rise was 3.3%. In cash terms, Band 5 entry rose from £31,049 to £32,073 (+£1,024); Band 6 entry rose from £38,682 to £39,959 (+£1,277); Band 7 entry rose from £47,810 to £49,387 (+£1,577).

When was the 2026/27 NHS pay rise paid?

The new England pay rates were backdated to 2026-04-01. 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 2026/27?

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 does the 2026/27 NHS pay rise hit my pay packet?

The uplift was applied to monthly pay from June or July 2026 in most Trusts, with arrears back to 1 April 2026 paid alongside the first new monthly rate. If you started in the NHS after 1 April, your arrears cover only the period from your start date to the implementation date.

Is the 2026/27 pay rise above inflation?

It depends on where inflation lands over the 2026/27 financial year. The 3.3% headline is slightly below most economist forecasts of around 3.4% to 3.6% CPI inflation for the year. Scottish staff have an inflation guarantee built into their multi-year deal: if CPI exceeds the deal-implied figure, the uplift will be topped up automatically.

How does the 2026/27 uplift compare to last year?

The 2026/27 deal of 3.3% is slightly below 2025/26 (3.6%) but above 2024/25 (5.5%) is not directly comparable because that deal included one-off elements. The Scottish 3.75% for 2026/27 is also lower than its 2025/26 component (4.4% after inflation guarantee triggered).

NHS pay rise 2026/27

The 2026/27 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 2026/27 deal landed

The 2026/27 pay round delivered a 3.3% consolidated uplift to every Agenda for Change pay point in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's two-year deal added a further 3.75% on top of its revised 2025/26 baseline.

The NHS Pay Review Body recommended 3.3% in its 39th report in early 2026, which the UK Government accepted in full. NHS Employers published the implementing circular in February 2026, with the uplift applied to all pay points from 1 April 2026. Wales adopted the same percentage through AfC(W) 02/2026. Northern Ireland's HSC circular is expected later in 2026 following Executive sign-off. Scotland's separately negotiated multi-year settlement delivered 3.75% on top of a 2025/26 baseline that had been revised upwards via the inflation guarantee.

Uplift by nation

Cash impact at the most-searched bands

For staff in England, the 2026/27 pay rise translates into the following annual cash increases at entry to the most common bands.

Band	2025/26 entry	2026/27 entry	Change	%
Band 5	£31,049	£32,073	+£1,024	+3.3%
Band 6	£38,682	£39,959	+£1,277	+3.3%
Band 7	£47,810	£49,387	+£1,577	+3.3%

Union response to the 2026/27 deal

The 2026/27 deal was accepted by the major NHS unions (RCN, Unison, Unite and the BMA AfC group) without strike action, in contrast to the disputes of 2022 and 2023. The settlement sits a fraction below the consensus inflation forecast for the financial year, so most staff will see a small real-terms erosion of pay if inflation comes in at or above the Bank of England's central projection.

Structural changes

Every pay point on every band moved up by 3.3% on the 2025/26 figures in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The structural pay scale (number of steps per band, years to top) is unchanged from 2025/26. Scotland's structure remained two-step from Band 8a upward; England, Wales and NI kept the intermediate steps introduced in the 2024/25 deal.

England

Pay scales for 2026/27 — NHS Employers

Read the circular

Band	Minimum	Steps	Maximum	Hourly at top
Band 1 closed	£25,272	1	Single rate	£12.92
Band 2	£25,272	1	Single rate	£12.92
Band 3	£25,760	2	£27,476	£14.05
Band 4	£28,392	2	£31,157	£15.93
Band 5	£32,073	3	£39,043	£19.97
Band 6	£39,959	3	£48,117	£24.61
Band 7	£49,387	3	£56,515	£28.90
Band 8a	£57,528	3	£64,750	£33.11
Band 8b	£66,582	3	£77,368	£39.57
Band 8c	£79,504	3	£91,609	£46.85
Band 8d	£94,356	3	£108,814	£55.65
Band 9	£112,782	3	£129,783	£66.37

England pay scales for 2026/27, effective 2026-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: Pay scales for 2026/27 — NHS Employers.

Scotland

PCS(AFC)2026/1 — Pay rates from 1 April 2026 (Annex B)

Read the circular

Band	Minimum	Steps	Maximum	Hourly at top
Band 1 closed	£26,557	1	Single rate	£13.58
Band 2	£26,696	2	£28,988	£14.82
Band 3	£29,103	2	£31,409	£16.06
Band 4	£31,537	2	£34,303	£17.54
Band 5	£34,544	3	£43,039	£22.01
Band 6	£43,231	3	£52,679	£26.94
Band 7	£52,845	3	£61,466	£31.43
Band 8a	£65,125	2	£70,303	£35.95
Band 8b	£76,888	2	£82,251	£42.06
Band 8c	£90,808	2	£97,338	£49.78
Band 8d	£107,810	2	£112,426	£57.50
Band 9	£127,521	2	£133,044	£68.04

Scotland pay scales for 2026/27, effective 2026-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: PCS(AFC)2026/1 — Pay rates from 1 April 2026 (Annex B).

Wales

AfC(W) 02/2026 — Agenda for change payscales 2026/2027

Read the circular

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.

Common questions about the 2026/27 pay rise

How much was the NHS pay rise in 2026/27?: In England the headline pay rise was 3.3%. In cash terms, Band 5 entry rose from £31,049 to £32,073 (+£1,024); Band 6 entry rose from £38,682 to £39,959 (+£1,277); Band 7 entry rose from £47,810 to £49,387 (+£1,577).
When was the 2026/27 NHS pay rise paid?: The new England pay rates were backdated to 2026-04-01. 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 2026/27?: 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 does the 2026/27 NHS pay rise hit my pay packet?: The uplift was applied to monthly pay from June or July 2026 in most Trusts, with arrears back to 1 April 2026 paid alongside the first new monthly rate. If you started in the NHS after 1 April, your arrears cover only the period from your start date to the implementation date.
Is the 2026/27 pay rise above inflation?: It depends on where inflation lands over the 2026/27 financial year. The 3.3% headline is slightly below most economist forecasts of around 3.4% to 3.6% CPI inflation for the year. Scottish staff have an inflation guarantee built into their multi-year deal: if CPI exceeds the deal-implied figure, the uplift will be topped up automatically.
How does the 2026/27 uplift compare to last year?: The 2026/27 deal of 3.3% is slightly below 2025/26 (3.6%) but above 2024/25 (5.5%) is not directly comparable because that deal included one-off elements. The Scottish 3.75% for 2026/27 is also lower than its 2025/26 component (4.4% after inflation guarantee triggered).