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, 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.
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, 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.
Union response
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.
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, backdated to 2026-04-01. 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?
- 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).