NHS Pay Rise 2027/28

+2.4% for 2027

The UK government is planning for a 2.4% Agenda for Change uplift in 2027/28. That is evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body, not a recommendation and not a final award.

The tables show what 2.4% would add to each published pay point, in pounds a year and per hour on a 37.5-hour week. Gross basic only.

England Band 5 entry today is £32,073. At 2.4% that is £32,843 — £770 a year, about £0.39 an hour.

The processNothing is payable yet

  1. Remit. In July 2026 the UK government asked the NHS Pay Review Body for recommendations on Agenda for Change pay for 2027/28.
  2. Evidence. In October 2026 DHSC and NHS England published written evidence that plans for a 2.4% uplift inside existing budgets.
  3. Recommendation. The NHSPRB still has to report. That report is the independent recommendation. It is expected in 2027 and is not automatic policy.
  4. Decision. England, Wales and Northern Ireland each decide whether to accept it. Scotland negotiates Agenda for Change pay directly with unions, so the 2.4% figure is not a Scottish offer.
  5. Payment. Awards are aimed at 1 April. If the announcement is late, payslips stay on the current scale until the new rates are paid.

EnglandNHSPRB, then ministers

England’s rates are recommended by the NHSPRB and decided by the UK government. The 2026/27 award was 3.3% from 1 April 2026. These rows start from those published points.

Illustrative 2.4% on published 2026/27 basic pay. Hourly rate is 37.5 hours a week. Not a confirmed award.
BandPointNowAfter 2.4%Extra / yearExtra / hour
Band 2—£25,272£25,879+£607+£0.31
Band 3Entry£25,760£26,378+£618+£0.32
Band 3Top£27,476£28,135+£659+£0.34
Band 4Entry£28,392£29,073+£681+£0.35
Band 4Top£31,157£31,905+£748+£0.38
Band 5Entry£32,073£32,843+£770+£0.39
Band 5Intermediate£34,592£35,422+£830+£0.42
Band 5Top£39,043£39,980+£937+£0.48
Band 6Entry£39,959£40,918+£959+£0.49
Band 6Intermediate£42,170£43,182+£1,012+£0.52
Band 6Top£48,117£49,272+£1,155+£0.59
Band 7Entry£49,387£50,572+£1,185+£0.61
Band 7Intermediate£51,932£53,178+£1,246+£0.64
Band 7Top£56,515£57,871+£1,356+£0.69
Band 8aEntry£57,528£58,909+£1,381+£0.71
Band 8aIntermediate£60,417£61,867+£1,450+£0.74
Band 8aTop£64,750£66,304+£1,554+£0.79
Band 8bEntry£66,582£68,180+£1,598+£0.82
Band 8bIntermediate£70,896£72,598+£1,702+£0.87
Band 8bTop£77,368£79,225+£1,857+£0.95
Band 8cEntry£79,504£81,412+£1,908+£0.98
Band 8cIntermediate£84,346£86,370+£2,024+£1.04
Band 8cTop£91,609£93,808+£2,199+£1.12
Band 8dEntry£94,356£96,621+£2,265+£1.16
Band 8dIntermediate£100,140£102,543+£2,403+£1.23
Band 8dTop£108,814£111,426+£2,612+£1.34
Band 9Entry£112,782£115,489+£2,707+£1.38
Band 9Intermediate£119,583£122,453+£2,870+£1.47
Band 9Top£129,783£132,898+£3,115+£1.59

WalesSame remit, Welsh decision

Wales is inside the NHSPRB remit, but the Welsh Government decides what to implement. There is no separate published 2027/28 Welsh figure yet, so this applies the same 2.4% to Welsh 2026/27 points for comparison.

Illustrative 2.4% on published 2026/27 basic pay. Hourly rate is 37.5 hours a week. Not a confirmed award.
BandPointNowAfter 2.4%Extra / yearExtra / hour
Band 2—£26,300£26,931+£631+£0.32
Band 3Entry£26,300£26,931+£631+£0.32
Band 3Top£26,999£27,647+£648+£0.33
Band 4Entry£28,819£29,511+£692+£0.35
Band 4Top£31,626£32,385+£759+£0.39
Band 5Entry£32,557£33,338+£781+£0.40
Band 5Intermediate£35,114£35,957+£843+£0.43
Band 5Top£39,631£40,582+£951+£0.49
Band 6Entry£40,559£41,532+£973+£0.50
Band 6Intermediate£42,805£43,832+£1,027+£0.53
Band 6Top£48,841£50,013+£1,172+£0.60
Band 7Entry£50,129£51,332+£1,203+£0.62
Band 7Intermediate£52,712£53,977+£1,265+£0.65
Band 7Top£57,365£58,742+£1,377+£0.70
Band 8aEntry£58,405£59,807+£1,402+£0.72
Band 8aIntermediate£61,338£62,810+£1,472+£0.75
Band 8aTop£65,737£67,315+£1,578+£0.81
Band 8bEntry£67,597£69,219+£1,622+£0.83
Band 8bIntermediate£71,976£73,703+£1,727+£0.88
Band 8bTop£78,548£80,433+£1,885+£0.96
Band 8cEntry£80,715£82,652+£1,937+£0.99
Band 8cIntermediate£85,632£87,687+£2,055+£1.05
Band 8cTop£93,006£95,238+£2,232+£1.14
Band 8dEntry£95,794£98,093+£2,299+£1.18
Band 8dIntermediate£101,666£104,106+£2,440+£1.25
Band 8dTop£110,472£113,123+£2,651+£1.36
Band 9Entry£114,500£117,248+£2,748+£1.41
Band 9Intermediate£121,405£124,319+£2,914+£1.49
Band 9Top£131,760£134,922+£3,162+£1.62

ScotlandNegotiated, not this figure

NHS Scotland pay is negotiated between trade unions and the Scottish Government. In October 2026 Staff Side submitted a 2027/28 claim for an above-inflation rise. There is no Scottish offer of 2.4%. The table only shows what that percentage would be worth on Scottish 2026/27 points.

Illustrative 2.4% on published 2026/27 basic pay. Hourly rate is 37.5 hours a week. Not a confirmed award.
BandPointNowAfter 2.4%Extra / yearExtra / hour
Band 2Entry£26,658£27,298+£640+£0.33
Band 2Top£28,947£29,642+£695+£0.36
Band 3Entry£29,061£29,758+£697+£0.36
Band 3Top£31,364£32,117+£753+£0.39
Band 4Entry£31,492£32,248+£756+£0.39
Band 4Top£34,254£35,076+£822+£0.42
Band 5Entry£34,494£35,322+£828+£0.42
Band 5Intermediate£36,857£37,742+£885+£0.45
Band 5Top£42,977£44,008+£1,031+£0.53
Band 6Entry£43,169£44,205+£1,036+£0.53
Band 6Intermediate£45,070£46,152+£1,082+£0.55
Band 6Top£52,603£53,865+£1,262+£0.65
Band 7Entry£52,769£54,035+£1,266+£0.65
Band 7Intermediate£54,784£56,099+£1,315+£0.67
Band 7Top£61,377£62,850+£1,473+£0.75
Band 8aEntry£65,032£66,593+£1,561+£0.80
Band 8aTop£70,202£71,887+£1,685+£0.86
Band 8bEntry£76,778£78,621+£1,843+£0.94
Band 8bTop£82,133£84,104+£1,971+£1.01
Band 8cEntry£90,678£92,854+£2,176+£1.11
Band 8cTop£97,199£99,532+£2,333+£1.19
Band 8dEntry£107,655£110,239+£2,584+£1.32
Band 8dTop£112,264£114,958+£2,694+£1.38
Band 9Entry£127,338£130,394+£3,056+£1.56
Band 9Top£132,853£136,041+£3,188+£1.63

Northern IrelandRemit, then the Executive

Northern Ireland is covered by the NHSPRB, and the Executive decides implementation. Published scales here are labelled 2025/26 where a later circular is still pending. Treat the 2.4% rows as a size guide, not an announcement.

Illustrative 2.4% on published 2025/26 basic pay. Hourly rate is 37.5 hours a week. Not a confirmed award.
BandPointNowAfter 2.4%Extra / yearExtra / hour
Band 2—£24,852£25,448+£596+£0.30
Band 3Entry£24,937£25,535+£598+£0.31
Band 3Top£26,598£27,236+£638+£0.33
Band 4Entry£27,485£28,145+£660+£0.34
Band 4Top£30,162£30,886+£724+£0.37
Band 5Entry£31,049£31,794+£745+£0.38
Band 5Intermediate£33,487£34,291+£804+£0.41
Band 5Top£37,796£38,703+£907+£0.46
Band 6Entry£38,682£39,610+£928+£0.47
Band 6Intermediate£40,823£41,803+£980+£0.50
Band 6Top£46,580£47,698+£1,118+£0.57
Band 7Entry£47,810£48,957+£1,147+£0.59
Band 7Intermediate£50,273£51,480+£1,207+£0.62
Band 7Top£54,710£56,023+£1,313+£0.67
Band 8aEntry£55,690£57,027+£1,337+£0.68
Band 8aIntermediate£58,487£59,891+£1,404+£0.72
Band 8aTop£62,682£64,186+£1,504+£0.77
Band 8bEntry£64,455£66,002+£1,547+£0.79
Band 8bIntermediate£68,631£70,278+£1,647+£0.84
Band 8bTop£74,896£76,694+£1,798+£0.92
Band 8cEntry£76,965£78,812+£1,847+£0.94
Band 8cIntermediate£81,652£83,612+£1,960+£1.00
Band 8cTop£88,682£90,810+£2,128+£1.09
Band 8dEntry£91,342£93,534+£2,192+£1.12
Band 8dIntermediate£96,941£99,268+£2,327+£1.19
Band 8dTop£105,337£107,865+£2,528+£1.29
Band 9Entry£109,179£111,799+£2,620+£1.34
Band 9Intermediate£115,763£118,541+£2,778+£1.42
Band 9Top£125,637£128,652+£3,015+£1.54

Common questions

Has the NHS Pay Review Body recommended 2.4%?

Not yet. The 2.4% figure in October 2026 comes from UK government (DHSC and NHS England) written evidence to the NHSPRB for 2027/28. The Review Body still has to publish its own recommendation, and governments then decide whether to accept it.

When would a 2027/28 NHS pay rise be paid?

Governments aim to pay Agenda for Change awards from 1 April where possible. Payment cannot happen until the Review Body has reported (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the relevant government has announced its decision. Late awards are often backdated, but that is not automatic until confirmed.

Does Scotland follow the same 2.4% figure?

No. Agenda for Change pay in NHS Scotland is negotiated directly between NHS trade unions and the Scottish Government. The 2.4% England planning figure is shown on this page for comparison only; it is not a Scottish offer.

Is the extra pay before or after tax?

The tables show gross basic salary only — the rise on published AfC pay points, yearly and per hour on 37.5 hours a week. Take-home after tax, National Insurance and pension will be lower. Use a nation band calculator for a take-home estimate.

Do London weighting and unsocial hours rise too?

HCAS and Section 2 enhancements are usually recalculated from the new basic rates once an award is implemented. This page isolates the headline basic-pay uplift so you can see the cash difference on each band point.

Sources and next steps

Headline context is drawn from DHSC and NHS England’s written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body for the 2027 to 2028 pay round, union responses, and each nation’s published AfC pay circulars used elsewhere on this site. Figures will change when the NHSPRB reports and governments announce.

Band 5 take-homeSee today’s monthly pay after tax, NI and pension. Pay across the UKWhy England, Scotland, Wales and NI scales already differ. Compare two jobsModel a move between bands or nations on current rates.