Do NHS jobs have a probation period?

Probationary periods (periods after starting a new job where notice periods are shortened) are not standardised under the Agenda for Change contract used by most NHS organisations for most staff (except doctors).

During a probationary period, it is usual that staff will have their performance monitored closely. If there are serious concerns about performance, the staff member may be dismissed during their probationary period with a shorter notice period (usually one or two weeks).

Because there is no NHS-wide policy on probation periods, whether jobs within the NHS come with a probation period depends on the organisation. Broadly speaking, there are three possible approaches to probation periods within the NHS:

• No probation period. An increasing number of NHS organisations no longer have any probation period for staff. This is because adding a probation period increases legal complexity and (in practice) dismissing a member of staff during their probationary period may not be any easier than if they were an established member of staff.
• 3 months. Some NHS organisations use a 3-month probation period – which is a typical probationary period in the private sector.
• 6 months. Other NHS organisations use a 6-month probationary period. This longer notice period tends to be more common for clinical staff.

The length of your probationary period (if you have one) will be explained to you during the process of being offered a job. If you are in the process of applying for a job within the NHS, you should be able to ask your recruitment HR contact about the details of any probation period.