NHS pay scales 2026/27
Annual pay scales for every NHS band in 2026/27, drawn from the official circular for each of the four UK nations. England uplift: 3.3% on 2025/26 pay scales.
The 2026/27 NHS pay deal
The 2026/27 pay round delivered a 3.3% consolidated uplift to every Agenda for Change pay point in England and Wales, paid on time in April 2026 salaries. It was the first on-time Agenda for Change award since 2020. Scotland's two-year deal added a further 3.75% on top of its revised 2025/26 baseline. Northern Ireland staff were still waiting for the 3.3% at the start of October 2026.
The NHS Pay Review Body recommended 3.3% in its 39th report, and the UK Government accepted it in full on 12 February 2026. Because the award was confirmed before the pay year started, NHS Employers published the new pay scales in February and the uplift was paid in April 2026 salaries, in line with ESR lead times. There was no back pay owed on the basic award, unlike every year from 2021/22 to 2025/26. Employers that don't run payroll through ESR may have paid it a month late, with arrears. Wales adopted the same percentage through AfC(W) 02/2026, issued on 12 February 2026 with the new rates applying from 1 April 2026. Any pay structure reforms still being agreed will be backdated to 1 April 2026 once settled. Scotland's separately negotiated two-year settlement delivered 3.75% from 1 April 2026, on top of a 2025/26 baseline that had been revised upwards via the inflation guarantee. In Northern Ireland, the Health Minister said he wanted to pay 3.3%, but the ministerial direction to fund it still needed Executive approval, so HSC staff had not received the uplift by early October 2026.
Headline figures, 2026/27
The most-searched NHS bands are 5, 6 and 7, covering staff nurses, specialist nurses and ward managers. Entry salaries for these bands are shown below for each nation.
| Band | England | Scotland | Wales | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 entry | £32,073 | £34,544 | £32,557 | — |
| Band 6 entry | £39,959 | £43,231 | £40,559 | — |
| Band 7 entry | £49,387 | £52,845 | £50,129 | — |
What changed in 2026/27
Every pay point on every band moved up by 3.3% on the 2025/26 figures in England and Wales. The structural pay scale (number of steps per band, years to top) is unchanged from 2025/26 while structural reform talks continue. Wales also applied a Real Living Wage floor at the bottom of the scale. Scotland's structure remained two-step from Band 8a upward; England and Wales kept the intermediate steps introduced in the 2024/25 deal.
Union response
Unions welcomed the timing but not the size of the award. The RCN called a below-inflation award 'an insult', UNISON said staff would be 'downright angry' at another below-inflation rise, and the Royal College of Midwives said the government had let down maternity staff again. GMB acknowledged that April payment was progress, the first time this had happened in years. In Northern Ireland, the RCN has notified the Executive and employers of a dispute over the unpaid 2026/27 award and plans a statutory industrial action ballot.
England
3.3% uplift, effective 2026-04-01
| 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
3.75% uplift, effective 2026-04-01
| 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
3.3% uplift, effective 2026-04-01
| 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 2026/27 NHS pay
- What is the NHS pay scale for 2026/27?
- The 2026/27 NHS pay scale in England applied a 3.3% consolidated uplift to all Agenda for Change pay points, effective 2026-04-01 and paid on time in April 2026 salaries. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each negotiated separately, with the figures shown in the tables below.
- Do all four UK nations pay the same NHS rates in 2026/27?
- No. Each nation negotiates its own pay scale. England, Wales and Northern Ireland usually follow the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation, while Scotland negotiates directly between the Scottish Government and trade unions. Differences are usually small at lower bands but can be larger at senior bands.
- When does the 2026/27 NHS pay rise hit my pay packet?
- In England and Wales the 3.3% uplift was paid on time in April 2026 salaries, so there were no arrears on the basic award. If your employer doesn't use ESR for payroll, it may have paid the uplift in May 2026 with one month of arrears. Any pay structure reforms still being agreed will be backdated to 1 April 2026 once settled. Scotland's 3.75% applied from 1 April 2026 under its two-year deal. Northern Ireland HSC staff were still waiting for the 2026/27 award at the start of October 2026; when it is approved, it is expected to be backdated to 1 April 2026.
- 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).