In short
The 2026/27 NHS pay rise for Agenda for Change staff is 3.3% in England and Wales, on every pay point from 1 April 2026. Scotland's is 3.75%. Northern Ireland's hasn't been paid yet. In England it was in April pay packets, the first time in six years the award arrived on time.
The award in each country
| Country | 2026/27 award | Status |
|---|---|---|
| England | 3.3% | Paid from April 2026 |
| Wales | 3.3% | Paid from April 2026 |
| Scotland | 3.75% | Paid from April 2026, second year of a two-year deal |
| Northern Ireland | 3.3% expected | Not yet announced; pay is still on rates from 1 April 2025 |
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the rise follows the NHS Pay Review Body's 39th report, which recommended 3.3%; the UK government accepted it in full in February 2026, and the Welsh Government matched it. Scotland's 3.75% comes from its own 2025 to 2027 deal, which also lifted 2025/26 pay to 4.4% under an inflation guarantee. Most doctors and dentists in England got 3.5% from their own review body.
What 3.3% is worth, band by band
At the bottom of each band in England, full time, with the NHS pension and before shifts:
| Band | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Rise a month, before deductions | Rise a month, take home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £24,465 | £25,272 | £67.25 | £44.92 |
| Band 3 | £24,937 | £25,760 | £68.58 | £45.81 |
| Band 4 | £27,485 | £28,392 | £75.58 | £50.49 |
| Band 5 | £31,049 | £32,073 | £85.33 | £55.77 |
| Band 6 | £38,682 | £39,959 | £106.42 | £68.28 |
| Band 7 | £47,810 | £49,387 | £131.42 | £84.32 |
| Band 8a | £55,690 | £57,528 | £153.17 | £87.98 |
| Band 8b | £64,455 | £66,582 | £177.25 | £91.43 |
| Band 8c | £76,965 | £79,504 | £211.58 | £106.85 |
| Band 8d | £91,342 | £94,356 | £251.17 | £126.84 |
| Band 9 | £109,179 | £112,782 | £300.25 | £151.63 |
A new Band 5 nurse gets about £55.77 a month more in take home. Tax, NI and pension take between a third and a half of every rise, more at higher bands. Use the pay rise calculator for your own pay point, or back pay if your rise arrives late.
Northern Ireland: still waiting
Health and Social Care staff in Northern Ireland are still on 2025/26 rates. The Department of Health hasn't issued a 2026/27 pay circular. Recent awards in Northern Ireland have been paid late and backdated: the 2025/26 rise was paid in February 2026 with arrears to April 2025. Band 2's 2025/26 rate is below the National Living Wage that applies from April 2026, so it has to be topped up to at least £12.71 an hour.
2027/28: a different kind of pay round
On 15 July 2026 the Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray, asked the Pay Review Body to start the 2027/28 round, earlier than last year, so the award can again be paid on time in April. In the same letter the government confirmed it has started negotiations with the NHS Staff Council on reforming the Agenda for Change pay structure, and that those talks could include the headline pay rises for both 2027/28 and 2028/29.
So the 2027/28 rise may come from a negotiated deal rather than a review body recommendation. The unions want exactly that. The Royal College of Midwives pulled out of the review body process for 2026/27, and the RCN called the 2027/28 remit letter "disappointing" before reform talks had concluded. In July 2026, 14 health unions wrote jointly to the Health Secretary asking UK governments to fund Agenda for Change reform.
The government has also committed, in England, to raising graduate pay, reviewing every Band 5 nursing role and setting up a single national nursing preceptorship.
Scotland 2027/28
NHS Scotland pay is negotiated directly between the unions and the Scottish Government. The unions have submitted their 2027/28 claim, asking for a significant above-inflation rise, future awards linked to inflation, and the pay modernisation promised in the 2023/24 deal. Talks have started; the aim is a settlement before 1 April 2027.
When will we know?
There's no date yet for 2027/28 in any country. We'll update this page when the review body reports, a deal is agreed or Northern Ireland confirms its 2026/27 award.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NHS pay rise for 2026/27?
When was the 2026/27 NHS pay rise paid?
How much is 3.3% on Band 5?
What will the NHS pay rise be for 2027/28?
Will Northern Ireland get back pay?
Sources (checked 18 October 2026)
- NHS Pay Review Body Thirty-Ninth Report 2026 (NHS Pay Review Body / DHSC)
- NHS Pay Awards for 2026 and resident doctor strikes: everything you need to know (DHSC Media Centre)
- Written Statement: Responding to the 39th NHS Pay Review Body (Welsh Government)
- Pay Letter AfC(W) 02/2026 (Welsh Government)
- NHS pay rates (Agenda for Change 2025 to 2027) (Scottish Government)
- NHS Circular PCS(AFC)2026/1: pay and conditions for Agenda for Change staff (Scottish Government)
- AFC February 2026 Pay Award (2025/26 rates) (HSC Business Services Organisation, Payroll Shared Services)
- NHS Pay Review Body remit letter: 2027 to 2028 (Department of Health and Social Care)
- RCN disappointed to see NHS pay process begin before talks conclude (Royal College of Nursing)
- Fair pay in the NHS (Royal College of Nursing)
- Historic move sees RCM pull out of NHS Pay Review Body process (Royal College of Midwives)
- NHS unions 2027/28 pay claim in Scotland (The Pharmacists' Defence Association)
- Pay scales for 2026/27 (NHS Employers)
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HM Revenue & Customs)
- NHS Pension Scheme member contributions (NHS Employers)
See your own payslip, with your band and shifts.
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