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Writing a great NHS job application: the insider’s guide
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Do NHS job applications check for AI?

georgelondon89@gmail.com - August 25, 2025August 25, 2025

As of August 2025, NHS job application platforms (such as Trac and NHS Jobs) do not automatically check whether tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini have been used by candidates to write their applications. From speaking to NHS HR professionals, we understand that this is because there is no proven method for automatically detecting AI-generated applications.

Some NHS organisations do ask candidates to declare whether they have used AI tools to help them craft their supporting statement or application. However, declaring that you have used AI tools does not directly impact your application score.

Should I use AI to write my NHS job application?

The NHS Payscales team are experienced NHS hiring managers - we review thousands of job applications each year.

We believe that the majority of NHS job applications are now written using AI. The logic for candidates using AI is understandable; NHS job applications are notoriously long and complex, and using AI can turn a task that might take hours into the work of a few minutes.

Unfortunately, we feel that the reality is that too many applications rely on using AI with very little actual human input, damaging the quality of the application. Supporting statements created solely using AI tend to be easy to spot as they follow similar structures, lack compelling arguments for why the candidate wants the role, and talk about the job in a very generic sense.

More than anything else, if the hiring manager thinks you have used AI to generate your application or personal statement, they will probably think you are lazy and the type of person who tries to cut corners. It's unlikely that is what they are looking for in their team!

By all means, use AI to proofread your application, or to research the role or organisation to inform your application - but our strong advice is not to rely on AI to do the actual writing.

How to write a good NHS job application

admin - June 10, 2025August 4, 2025

Getting the job you want in the NHS has arguably never been more difficult. Many NHS jobs (especially non-clinical roles) now receive more than 100 applications, making competition fierce for roles at every level.

At the same time, the NHS is in desperate need of skilled and enthusiastic staff. Many professions have significant vacancy rates; about 1 in 12 nursing roles are vacant at any one time.

Applying for NHS jobs is not necessarily a simple task. From complex applications using clunky platforms such as NHS Jobs or Trac, to demystifying jargon used in person specifications, it can be difficult to know how to approach NHS job applications.

We recently spoke to a group NHS hiring managers with experience hiring at a variety of levels to get the inside track on what makes an NHS job application good (and bad):

Writing a good NHS supporting statement

Supporting statements (sometimes also called personal statements or supporting information) can be make or break for NHS job applications. These are the main part of the job application where you can demonstrate your passion for the role and the reasons why you should stand out against the many other applicants who might have similar qualifications or experience.

Our managers gave us a clear list of "do's and don'ts" for supporting information:

Do make sure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet every part of the person specification. The person specification (usually part of the job description) is the key list of skills that the hiring manager will be using to score your application against. Work through each section of the "essential" and "desirable" elements of the person specification and check your personal statement demonstrates how you meet each criteria, including examples where possible.
Do talk about where you're applying for. One of the biggest mistakes our managers mentioned was focusing the supporting information purely on the candidate. Your personal statement gives you a chance to show that you have properly researched the job and organisation you are planning to join. Has the hospital you've applied for recently won an award? Is there a particular specialty at the hospital you're passionate about? Mentioning these kind of details is a great way to show that you are a self-starter and enthusiastic about this particular role.
Do properly check and proof-read your supporting statement. Not very surprising advice, but our managers were shocked at how many supporting statements had poor grammar, spelling, or included other blunders such as getting organisation names wrong. Get someone else to check your statement before you submit it!
Don't rely on AI to write your supporting statement. Easy access to tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini has made it tempting to hand over the hard work of writing personal statements to AI, but our managers told us they generally found AI-generated supporting statements easy to spot. In particular, they found AI-generated statements tended to be vague on detail, formulaic in structure and full of cliched expressions. Some managers estimated up to 80% of the applications they saw were obviously constructed using ChatGPT. By all means, use these tools to help research roles - but our advice is to stick to doing the writing yourself.
Don't include external links. Some application systems remove external links or email addresses automatically. Most of the managers we spoke to said they simply didn't have time to visit external websites such as LinkedIn when reviewing applications, unless the application form specifically asked for them.

Understanding the NHS application process

Almost all NHS job applications are reviewed by managers who are working full-time in busy roles. Reviewing applications is a time-consuming process, especially when managers are being asked to review potentially hundreds of applications; one manager we spoke to said they regularly receive more than 300 applications for entry-level roles.

You can make your application more likely to succeed by understanding some key elements of the process and making your application as easy to score as possible:

Applications are usually anonymous. Most modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) anonymise applications to avoid bias - so the hiring manager doesn't know whose application they are scoring. If you're an internal candidate, bear this in mind if you've got a relationship with the hiring manager already; they won't necessarily know who you are, and as such you need to imagine you are writing your application to someone you've never met before. If you're an external candidate, trying to build a relationship with a hiring manager through requesting phone calls is usually not a good use of time (unless you have genuine questions).
Applications are scored using a strict and inflexible scoring system. Applications are usually scored against some or all of the criteria in the person specification section of the job description. Usually the scoring is from 0 (no evidence) to 3 (exceptional) for each criteria. Missing any element of the person specification can cost you big marks against your competition.
Equality, diversity and inclusion and values are important. In today's NHS, understanding concepts such as equity and diversity are vital. Many of the biggest challenges facing NHS services are related to health inequalities, and managers want staff who are conscious of these types of issue. Many NHS organisations also have their own values, and it can be useful for scoring to mention these values by name.
Using technical and unfamiliar terms. Don't make any assumptions about what the person scoring your application will or won't know. Spell out acronyms and explain every element of your application. In particular, our managers mentioned that many applicants educated outside the UK include references to grading or educational attainment which are unfamiliar - and which they don't have time to look up themselves. Make sure that you explain these terms in ways that are more familiar to British reviewers, e.g. "equivalent to an A-level".

When will the NHS pay rise be paid for 2025?

admin - June 1, 2025August 13, 2025

In May 2025, a new NHS pay rise was announced, with all staff on the Agenda for Change pay scale being awarded a 3.6% pay rise.

As with previous years, this pay agreement was not announced in time for the new financial year, which begins on April 1st. Initially it was not clear when NHS staff would actually receive updated pay in their monthly pay packets.

However, in June 2025 the government announced that pay increases will be implemented in time for August's monthly pay.

Staff will receive their new pay and pay backdated to April on their normal monthly pay day.

Find the answers to some FAQs about backdated pay below:

Will the NHS pay rise be paid in August?

Yes, the NHS pay rise for 2025/26 will be paid (including backdated pay for April, May, June and July) in line with normal monthly pay arrangements in August 2025.

Because of the August bank holiday, this pay might arrive earlier in the month than usual. If your normal pay day is the 23rd, 24th or 25th of the month, you will receive all your pay on Friday 22nd August.

Will the NHS pay rise be taxed?

Yes, the NHS pay rise will be taxed normally. You won't pay any more tax compared to if the pay had been included in your monthly pay between April-July.

Will I pay pension contributions on my backdated pay?

Yes, you will pay pension contributions on backdated pay. This is likely to significantly reduce the total amount of backdated pay you actually receive, given NHS pension contributions can be up to 12.5% of total pay. This year's bands for pension contributions have already been adjusted for inflation, but they will change again slightly to reflect this years above-inflation pay rise.

This could mean a very slightly higher (or lower) contribution "in arrears" to pension contributions for staff in the following groups:

Band 4 staff with less than 3 years of experience
Band 8a staff with at least 5 years of experience

These contribution changes will be confirmed before August 2025.

NHS Pay Scales 2025/26 (confirmed 3.6% pay rise and Band 2/3 pay update)

admin - December 9, 2024August 5, 2025

On May 22, 2025, the Government announced that a 3.6% pay deal had been agreed for NHS Agenda for Change staff. The pay tables below have now been updated, reflecting the change from the 3.5% pay deal we had originally predicted in January 2025. Please bear with us - this page will be fully updated as more information is released.

This article includes a full breakdown of how the pay rise will affect each pay band on NHS Agenda for Change.

How much will the NHS pay rise for 2025/26 be?

The Government has announced a pay rise of 3.6%, although not all the details of how this will be implemented have been released.

We believe this decision was based on three factors:

Government recommendations: In December 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recommended a 2.8% pay rise for NHS staff. This recommendation is not the final pay award; the DHSC recommendation will be considered along with evidence from trade unions and other bodies by the independent NHS Pay Review Body, whose report is generally used to decide the final pay award for those on Agenda for Change contracts. However, it does mean that the minimum award is likely to be at least 2.8%.

The NHS budget for 2025/26 (which was announced in October 2024) includes allowances for overall staffing costs to rise by 3-4%, although it is important to note that not all staff groups are part of the Agenda for Change framework and some groups of clinical staff could receive higher (or lower) pay awards compared to others.
Some of the difference in the budget compared to DHSC's recommendations could also be to account for changes in the National Minimum Wage; NHS staff on Band 2 are on the National Minimum Wage so if this rises by more than 2.8% next year, these staff would legally have to have a higher pay rise.
Inflation and the economy: Many measures of inflation rose slightly towards the end of 2024, with the Consumer Price Index at 2.6% for December 2024. A below-inflation pay rise would be unpopular for the Government and almost certainly trigger strike action by the unions. However, a more generous pay rise (above 5%) is also unlikely due to the lack of economic growth of the UK economy.
Trade unions and the threat of strikes. The final years of the Conservative government were plagued by strikes by NHS staff, causing disruption and delays to treatment. The Prime Minister has set a target for 92% of "routine" operations to be completed within 18 weeks by March 2029; further strikes would likely add to the already sizeable backlog of operations and make this target very difficult to achieve. While most unions and bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing have not gone public with specifics on the pay rise they would like for their members this year, their reaction to the DHSC-recommended 2.8% rise has been very negative - with some unions calling the suggestion "insulting". This indicates to us that they would be likely to lobby the NHS Pay Review Body for a significantly higher pay rise - and perhaps regard a pay rise of below about 3% as enough to ballot their members for new strike action.

When will the NHS pay rise be paid?

The NHS pay rise for 2025/26 will be paid in August 2025, with pay backdated to 1 April. You can find out more about backdated pay for this year here, including details on tax and pension contributions which will impact take-home pay for all staff.

What is happening with NHS Band 2 and Band 3 pay rises and the National Living Wage increases?

In January 2025, it was announced that NHS Band 2 and Band 3 salaries would rise to reflect changes in the National Living Wage (sometimes called the national minimum wage). These changes would guarantee that staff at Band 2 would continue to receive at least the National Living Wage when this increases on April 1 2025. They also guarantee that staff on Band 3 would receive a higher salary than those on Band 2.

These increases are separate to the main pay agreement, and came into force before the national pay agreement.

These temporary increases were:

A pay increase of 2.35% for all staff at Band 2, taking them to a salary of £24,169
A pay increase of 2.3% for staff with fewer than two years of experience at Band 3, taking them to a salary of £24,625

As outlined in the rest of this article, the final pay rise means these staff will receive a further uplift in their salaries. These staff will not receive as large a sum in their backdated pay as other staff.

Confirmed Agenda for Change pay increases 2024/25

The below figures are based on a confirmed pay rise of 3.6%, applied across all bands. Details of High Cost Area Supplements have not yet been announced, so the figures below are predicted values only.

Band 1

Band 1 is no longer used for new Agenda for Change contracts. Any remaining staff on Band 1 contracts are paid as if they are on Band 2. Find out more about the history of Band 1 and the remaining NHS staff on this band.

Band 2

Staff in Band 2 (such as healthcare assistants, administrative assistants and catering staff) currently start on a salary of £23,614. This would increase to £24,464 following the predicted pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Confirmed National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0+	£23,614	£24,464	£30,045	£29,152	£25,743

There is currently no pay progression within Band 2.

Band 3

Staff in Band 3 (such as healthcare assistants) currently start on a salary of £24,072. This would increase to £24,939 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £25,674. This would increase to £26,599.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Confirmed National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£24,072	£24,939	£30,519	£29,626	£26,216
2+	£25,674	£26,599	£32,178	£31,284	£27,902

Band 4

Staff in Band 4 (such as office co-ordinators or communications assistants) currently start on a salary of £26,529. This would increase to £27,484 following the pay rise.

After three years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £29,114. This would increase to £30,162.

Please note that our Band 4 predictions have been updated following an error in our initial calculations.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Confirmed National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-3	£26,529	£27,484	£33,062	£32,169	£28,830
3+	£29,114	£30,162	£36,159	£34,844	£31,639

Band 5

Staff in Band 5 (such as newly qualified nurses) start on a salary of £29,970. This would increase to £31,049 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £32,324. This would increase to £33,488.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after two more years of experience, to £36,483. This would increase to £37,796. This pay point represents the average salary for an NHS nurse, and is (by our estimation) probably the most common pay point in the NHS.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Confirmed National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£29,970	£31,049	£37,223	£35,731	£32,570
2-4	£32,324	£33,488	£40,147	£38,474	£35,128
4+	£36,483	£37,796	£45,312	£43,424	£39,648

Band 6

Staff in Band 6 (such as occupational therapists or more senior or specialist nurses) start on a salary of £37,339. This would increase to £38,682 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £39,404. Following the pay rise this would increase to £40,824.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years of experience, to £44,961. This would increase to £46,580.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Confirmed National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£37,339	£38,682	£46,373	£44,441	£40,577
2-5	£39,404	£40,824	£48,941	£46,720	£42,824
5+	£44,961	£46,580	£54,992	£52,470	£48,730

Band 7

Staff in Band 7 (such as clinical pharmacists, communications managers, or service managers) start on a salary of £46,148. Following the pay rise, this would increase to £47,809.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £48,526. This would increase to £50,273.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years at this level, to £52,808. This would increase to £54,709.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£46,148	£47,809	£56,220	£53,699	£49,958
2-5	£48,526	£50,273	£58,681	£56,160	£52,419
5+	£52,808	£54,709	£63,113	£60,592	£56,852

Band 8a

Staff in Band 8a (such as HR business partners, advanced nurse practitioners, or senior physician associates) start on a salary of £53,754. This would increase to £55,690 after the pay rise.

Last year's pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £56,454 to £58,486.

After five total years of experience at this level, most staff will receive a pay increase to £60,504. This would increase to £62,682.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£53,754	£55,690	£64,093	£61,571	£57,831
2-5	£56,454	£58,486	£66,887	£64,366	£60,625
5+	£60,504	£62,682	£71,079	£68,558	£64,817

There is no automatic advancement from band 8a to 8b. Find out more about pay progression here.

It is expected that at some point within the next few years that changes to the Band 8a contract will be made to make it a more attractive proposition for promotion from Band 7 (particularly unsocial hours payments). However, it currently seems unlikely these changes will take place in time for the 2025/26 pay award.

Band 8b

Staff in Band 8b (such as heads of department, consultant pharmacists, or senior general managers) start on a salary of £62,215. This would increase to £64,455 following the pay rise.

Last year's pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £66,247 to £68,632.

After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £72,299. This would increase to £74,902.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£62,215	£64,455	£72,850	£70,328	£66,588
2-5	£66,247	£68,632	£77,023	£74,501	£70,761
5+	£72,299	£74,902	£83,286	£80,765	£77,025

There is no automatic advancement from band 8b to 8c. Find out more about pay progression here.

Band 8c

Staff in Band 8c (such as associate directors, consultant clinical scientists or nurse consultants) start on a salary of £74,290. This would increase to £76,964 following the pay rise.

Last year's pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £78,814 to £81,651.

After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £85,601. This would increase to £88,682 after the pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Fringe pay 2025/26
0-2	£74,290	£76,964	£85,347	£82,826	£79,085
2-5	£78,814	£81,651	£90,029	£87,508	£83,768
5+	£85,601	£88,682	£97,054	£94,532	£90,792

There is no automatic advancement from band 8c to 8d. Find out more about pay progression here.

Band 8d

Staff in Band 8d (such as service directors, programme leads, or deputy directors) start on a salary of £88,167. This would increase to £91,341 following the pay rise.

Last year's pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £93,571 to £96,940.

After five years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £101,677. This would increase to £105,377 after the pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26
0-2	£88,167	£91,341	£99,710	£97,189	£93,448
2-5	£93,571	£96,940	£105,303	£102,782	£99,041
5+	£101,677	£105,337	£113,692	£111,171	£107,431

Band 9

Staff in Band 9 (such as clinical directors or programme directors) start on a salary of £105,480. This would increase to £109,277 following the pay rise.

Last year's pay deal added a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will increase from £111,739 to £115,762.

After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £121,270. This would increase to £125,636.

Years of experience	National pay 2024/25	Predicted National pay 2025/26	Predicted Inner London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26	Predicted Outer London pay 2025/26
0-2	£105,480	£109,277	£117,629	£115,107	£111,367
2-5	£111,739	£115,762	£124,107	£121,586	£117,845
5+	£121,270	£125,636	£133,972	£131,450	£127,710

Some senior staff are on the Very Senior Manager payscale (effectively above Band 9). The pay deal for these managers is negotiated separately from the main Agenda for Change deal, and is usually the same or lower than other staff receive. We would expect a rise of 3% might be realistic for NHS VSMs for 2025/26.

Will HCAS change for 2025/26?

Changes to the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) or "London Weighting" have been called for by trade unions for some time. In particular, it has been suggested that areas outside of London with high costs of living should also benefit from pay uplifts.

Our understanding is that the application of HCAS is unlikely to change dramatically this year, although more significant changes may follow in the next few years. Instead, we expect HCAS to continue to apply only to London, and receive the same predicted 3.6% uplift as general salary levels. These are shown below:

HCAS area	Rate of HCAS supplement	Minimum Payment 2024/25	Predicted Minimum Payment 2025/26	Maximum Payment 2024/25	Predicted Maximum Payment 2025/26
Inner London	20%	£5,415	£5,610	£8,171	£8,465
Outer London	15%	£4,552	£4,716	£5,735	£5,941
Fringes	5%	£1,258	£1,303	£2,121	£2,197

What is the salary of a nurse in the UK?

admin - June 24, 2024

Nurses are the single largest staff group within the NHS, with about 400,000 nursing and midwifery staff working across the many organisations which make up the NHS.

Unsurprisingly, this means that pay levels for nurses vary quite significantly depending on role, seniority and (to some extent) location. However, most general nursing roles in England will be on one of two bands on the NHS Agenda for Change payscale. This payscale is changed on a yearly basis - you can see the predicted changes for 2024/25 here.

The two main bands for nursing jobs are:

Band 5 (entry-level roles) - £28,408 to £34,581 annual salary
Band 6 (more senior nurses or specialist nurses) - £35,391 to £42,617 annual salary

These figures are based on a standard working pattern of 37.5 hours a week. Your working pattern and your local contract will affect how much you get paid. If you work more unsocial hours you may receive more money.

If you work in London, you will also receive an additional payment called the High Cost Area Supplement. This will increase your pay by between £1,192 and £7,745, depending on your basic salary and which part of London you are in.

What is the average salary of an NHS nurse in 2024?

As outlined above, there are a number of variables which determine exactly how much money nurses make. Indeed, unpredictable work patterns and overtime mean that nurses may make quite different amounts each month.

However, we know that the most common pay band for nurses is Band 5, accounting for about 40% of all nurses. Most nurses stay in the profession for at least 5 years, giving them time to progress to the top of the Band 5 pay scales in regular increments. This makes £34,581 the most common salary for a nurse working a standard week in the NHS in England. Including variables such as overtime or unsocial hours payments, we estimate the average annual salary for an NHS nurse in 2024 is between £34,000-£38,000.

Will Labour increase NHS pay?

admin - May 25, 2024

With a general election fast approaching in July 2024, many NHS staff will be considering whether a Labour government might be more likely to increase pay than the current Conservative government.

Labour have historically invested more in public services, including the NHS. For example, during the first years of Labour power after they were elected in 1997, year-on-year NHS spending grew by more than 5%. In contrast, recent spending on the NHS under Conservative control has grown between about 0.2% and 2.5% year-on-year.

This higher level of Labour spending has also historically applied to NHS pay. In 1997, after coming to power, Labour announced a pay rise of 14% for nurses, and this was followed by inflation-matching or above-inflation pay rises during most of the rest of their time in power. In the longer-term, we would expect a Labour government (if elected) would probably be significantly more generous with NHS pay rises than the current Conservative government.

Will Labour increase NHS pay for 2024/25?

Despite being more open to public sector pay rises in general, we don't expect a significant increase in NHS pay immediately if Labour are elected. Unlike some other parts of the public sector (such as social care or teaching), we haven't seen much mention of NHS pay directly in Labour election communications.

We'd expect any pay rise for 2024/25 under a Labour government to be broadly aligned with the 3% prediction that we explain elsewhere on our website. This is because there simply isn't a lot of spare money available for any larger pay rise; changes to taxes to increase public spending would take time to implement and Labour have committed not to use increased public borrowing to fund any spending on public services. Pay increases for hundreds of thousands of NHS staff can have huge implications for public funds, and tax rises would be unpopular given the current cost of living crisis. Labour will also have to bear in mind the NHS Pay Review Body's recommendations - a body originally commissioned by the Conservative government.

With that being said, we would be much more optimistic about a larger pay rise for 2025/26 if Labour did come to power. We would expect this to be particularly focused on improving pay for staff on lower pay bands such as Band 2 and Band 3 of Agenda for Change, and perhaps be in the region of a 4-5% overall increase.

Alternatively, Labour might choose to reform NHS pay at some point in the next few years. Reforms could include:

Changes to pay progression (for example removing progression or adding more step points within bands)
Changes to the High Cost Area Supplement or "London weighting" calculation, or making other areas eligible for additional payments
Replacing Agenda for Change with a new pay system entirely, or removing some groups (such as nurses) from Agenda for Change
Changing how the NHS Pay Review Body operates (such as increasing the influence of trade unions)

What would you like to see change for NHS staff under a Labour government?

How much is the NHS pay rise for 2024/25? Updated June 2024

admin - April 20, 2024

Most NHS staff are on Agenda for Change contracts. Every year, the NHS Pay Review Body provides advice to the government on any changes it thinks should be implemented in terms of salary changes. This article provides insights and predictions relating to the pay rise expected for 2024/25.

How much will the NHS pay rise be for 2024/25?

While the final pay for 2024/25 will not be known until the government announces the results of the NHS Pay Review Body's annual report, our current prediction (as of June 2024) is a pay rise of approximately 2.5-3%. This is a slight reduction compared to our predictions earlier in the year, due to inflation falling since the spring.

Unlike 2023, we aren't expecting any additional one-off payment in this year's pay rise. This is because inflation has not been as severe as it was in the lead-up to the last pay rise.

Read the rest of this article to find out some of the factors which have led us to this prediction. You can also find out more about when the pay rise is likely to be announced (including details on a small change in take-home pay which did take place in April) and predicted salaries (based on a 3% rise) on other parts of our website.

How will politics and the election affect the NHS pay rise?

Although the NHS Pay Review Body is positioned as an independent group, the members of the Body are chosen by government - specifically the Prime Minister (for the Chair position) and Secretary of State for Health (for the other positions). Members of the Pay Review Board do not publicly discuss their work and they are not interrogated by Parliament. Ultimately it is in the interests of the Pay Review Body and the government for the recommendations of the Body to align with what government wants.

As such, we would expect political pressures to play a significant role in most pay rises. Given there is an election which will take place before the NHS pay rise is confirmed, a new government may well be in place before the NHS Pay Review Body report back their findings. However, we do not expect that a switch from a Conservative to Labour government would drastically change this year's pay deal.

We believe that whichever government is in power, the ideal scenario for ministers (if deemed affordable) would be a pay rise which is slightly above inflation. As of June 2024, inflation stands at around 2.2%. Granting a pay rise of around 3% could be announced as the first inflation-beating pay rise since the financial crisis of 2008 - allowing whichever poltical party is in power to claim they were making a landmark investment in the NHS.

Note: our team feel it is important to flag that an above-inflation pay rise this year would not make up for more than a decade of below-inflation pay rises. Whatever happens this year, Agenda for Change pay for staff will still be much lower than it would have been if pay had kept pace with inflation over the past 15 years. Your NHS salary in 2025 will buy you comparatively less than it would have in 2007.

What pay rise can the NHS afford?

The NHS is under huge financial pressures, which will not get any easier. The government has already announced that overall funding for the NHS will not increase for the year 2024/25 (which started in April 2024). This means that whatever pay increase is announced will almost certainly mean cuts to other spending - every percentage increase in wages costs the NHS about £1 billion.

NHS England has warned that it does not think pay rises of more than 2% would be affordable unless the government gives the NHS more money at the same time as announcing the rises - which it has not done in recent years. While Labour governments have historically been more generous in terms of public sector funding, indications during the election campaign suggest there would be no sudden cash injection if they did come to power.

Because the NHS pay rise is not announced in advance by the government, regional and local NHS finance teams have to make an educated guess about what their wage bill during their yearly financial planning. From speaking to senior NHS finance leaders, we understand that most organisations have budgeted for a 4-5% pay increase. This is likely to represent the upper limit for pay rises - exceeding this level would require drastic cuts to services and plans which have already been started for the year.

What NHS pay rise do unions want?

Many NHS staff are part of unions. Some of these unions provide evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body, and all of them have the power to put pressure on the government through organising industrial action such as strikes. Last year, many NHS staff were involved in strikes in an attempt to influence the pay deal.

After a difficult year for their members and frustration that the strikes did not achieve the pay rise hoped for by some NHS staff, this year the big NHS unions have made relatively conservative demands:

Unison have asked for a "proper pay rise", adjustments to banding and a shorter working week;
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have asked for an above-inflation pay rise, new pay progression for experienced staff and safer staffing guarantees;
GMB have asked for a flat £1.50 per hour pay rise for all staff - representing a rise of up to 13% for some Band 2 staff. They have also asked for free staff parking;
Unite the Union have asked for an "immediate, substantial pay rise".

Based on the above demands, we believe a pay rise at or above inflation (about 3%) is probably a solution which would avert the risk of strikes across most of the NHS workforce.

NHS Pay Scales 2024/25 (confirmed 5.5% pay rise – updated October 2024)

admin - April 10, 2024August 5, 2025

On 29 July 2024 the Labour government announced that it would be accepting a recommendation to increase NHS pay by 5.5% for all staff on the Agenda for Change payscale, as well as making some small additional changes to the scale such as new intermediate spine points for bands 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 9.

This page details how NHS pay will change for staff following these recommendations. London weighting has now been formally confirmed and the new increments for senior staff at bands 8 and 9 have been approved, as shown below. We will continue to update this page if any further announcements are made. You can also check out our predictions for next year pay rise here.

It has now been confirmed by NHS Employers that for most NHS staff the 2024/25 pay rise will not be reflected in monthly pay until October 2024 (with some changes affected staff in bands 8 and 9 not taking place until November), although the pay rise will be backdated to April. You can find out more about back pay and implications for tax and Universal Credit here. Find out why most NHS staff will also have noticed a slight pay rise in their April 2024 pay packets.

The figures below also include breakdowns showing the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) for staff in London and the surrounding areas, which have now been confirmed:

HCAS area	Rate of HCAS supplement	Minimum Payment 2024/25	Maximum Payment 2024/25
Inner London	20%	£5,415	£8,171
Outer London	15%	£4,552	£5,735
Fringes	5%	£1,258	£2,121

Predicted HCAS (London weighting) increases for 2024/25

Agenda for Change pay increases 2024/25

Band 1

Band 1 is no longer used as a point on the Agenda for Change contracts. Any remaining staff on Band 1 contracts are paid as if they are on Band 2. Find out more about the history of Band 1 and the remaining NHS staff on this band.

Band 2

Staff in Band 2 (such as healthcare assistants, administrative assistants and catering staff) currently start on a salary of £22,383. This would increase to £23,614 following the pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0+	£22,383	£23,614	£29,029	£28,166	£24,872

There is currently no pay progression within Band 2.

Band 3

Staff in Band 3 (such as healthcare assistants) currently start on a salary of £22,817. This would increase to £24,071 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £24,336. This would increase to £25,674.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£22,817	£24,071	£29,485	£28,622	£25,329
2+	£24,336	£25,674	£31,088	£30,225	£26,958

Band 4

Staff in Band 4 (such as office co-ordinators or HR assistants) currently start on a salary of £25,146. This would increase to £26,530 following the pay rise.

After three years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £27,596. This would increase to £29,114.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-3	£25,146	£26,530	£31,944	£31,079	£27,855
3+	£27,596	£29,114	£34,937	£33,664	£30,569

Band 5

Staff in Band 5 (such as newly qualified nurses) start on a salary of £28,408. This would increase to £29,969 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £30,639. This would increase to £32,324.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after two more years of experience, to £34,581. This would increase to £36,483. This pay point represents the average salary for an NHS nurse.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£28,408	£29,969	£35,965	£34,521	£31,469
2-4	£30,639	£32,324	£38,789	£37,173	£33,940
4+	£34,581	£36,483	£43,780	£41,955	£38,307

Band 6

Staff in Band 6 (such as occupational therapists or some more experienced nurses) start on a salary of £35,391. This would increase to £37,339 following the pay rise.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £37,351. Following the pay rise this would increase to £39,404.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years of experience, to £42,617. This would increase to £44,962.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£35,391	£37,339	£44,805	£42,938	£39,204
2-5	£37,351	£39,404	£47,286	£45,140	£41,376
5+	£42,617	£44,962	£53,132	£50,696	£47,083

Band 7

Staff in Band 7 (such as clinical pharmacists, communications managers, or service managers) start on a salary of £43,737. Following the pay rise, this would increase to £46,148.

After two years of experience at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £45,996. This would increase to £48,526.

Staff will receive a further pay rise after three more years at this level, to £50,055. This would increase to £52,809.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£43,737	£46,148	£54,314	£51,878	£48,264
2-5	£45,996	£48,526	£56,697	£54,261	£50,647
5+	£50,055	£52,809	£60,979	£58,543	£54,930

Band 8a

Staff in Band 8a (such as HR business partners, advanced nurse practitioners, or senior physician associates) start on a salary of £50,952. This would increase to £53,754 after the pay rise.

The 2024/25 pay deal adds a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will now increase to £56,454; this increment and backdated additional pay will be reflected in November 2024's pay packet.

After five total years of experience at this level, most staff will receive a pay increase to £57,350. This would increase to £60,503.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£50,952	£53,754	£61,925	£59,489	£55,876
2-5	£50,952	£56,247	£64,625	£62,189	£58.576
5+	£57,350	£60,503	£68,675	£66,239	£62,626

Also note that there is no automatic advancement from band 8a to 8b. Find out more about pay progression here.

Band 8b

Staff in Band 8b (such as heads of departments, consultant pharmacists, or senior general managers) start on a salary of £58,972. This would increase to £62,215 following the pay rise.

The 2024/25 pay deal adds a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will now increase to £66,247; this increment and backdated additional pay will be reflected in November 2024's pay packet.

After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £68,530. This would increase to £72,299.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£59,972	£62,215	£70,386	£67,950	£64,337
2-5	£59,972	£66,247	£74,418	£71,982	£68,369
5+	£68,530	£72,299	£80,465	£78,034	£74,421

Also note that there is no automatic advancement from band 8b to 8c. Find out more about pay progression here.

Band 8c

Staff in Band 8c (such as associate directors, consultant clinical scientists or nurse consultants) start on a salary of £70,417. This would increase to £74,290 following the pay rise.

The 2024/25 pay deal adds a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will now increase to £78,814; this increment and backdated additional pay will be reflected in November 2024's pay packet.

After five total years at this band, most staff will receive a pay increase to £81,138. This would increase to £85,601 after the pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£70,417	£74,290	£82,461	£80,025	£76,412
2-5	£70,417	£78,814	£86,985	£84,549	£80,936
5+	£81,138	£85,601	£93,772	£91,336	£87,722

Also note that there is no automatic advancement from band 8c to 8d. Find out more about pay progression here.

Band 8d

Staff in Band 8d (such as service directors, programme leads, or deputy directors) start on a salary of £83,571. This would increase to £88,167 following the pay rise.

The 2024/25 pay deal adds a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will now increase to £93,571; this increment and backdated additional pay will be reflected in November 2024's pay packet.

After five years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £96,376. This would increase to £101,677 after the pay rise.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£83,571	£88,167	£96,338	£93,902	£90,289
2-5	£83,571	£93,571	£101,742	£99,306	£95,693
5+	£96,376	£101,677	£109,848	£107,412	£103,798

Band 9

Staff in Band 9 (such as clinical directors or programme directors) start on a salary of £99,891. This would increase to £105,385 following the pay rise.

The 2024/25 pay deal adds a new intermediate step after 2 years. Pay for those with two years of experience will now increase to £111,739; this increment and backdated additional pay will be reflected in November 2024's pay packet.

After five total years, most staff will receive a pay increase to £114,948. This would increase to £121,271.

Years of experience	National pay 2023/24	Confirmed National pay 2024/25	Inner London pay 2024/25	Outer London pay 2024/25	Fringe pay 2024/25
0-2	£99,981	£105,385	£113,651	£111,215	£107,602
2-5	£99,981	£111,739	£119,910	£117,474	£113,861
5+	£114,948	£121,271	£129,441	£127,005	£123,392

Some senior staff are on the Very Senior Manager payscale (effectively above Band 9). The pay deal for these managers is negotiated separately. This year the pay rise for VSMs will be 5%, which means the average VSM salary is likely to be more than £150,000 for the first time.

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When will the NHS pay rise for 2024 happen? (Updated August 2024)

admin - December 29, 2023

Looking for information on the pay rise for 2025? Check out our predictions page here.

Most NHS pay is governed by the Agenda for Change (AfC) contract, which separates pay into a number of pay bands.

The rates of pay on Agenda for Change are reviewed on a yearly basis by the government, which usually means that there is a pay rise agreed for each year.

In theory this pay rise should be applied for the start of the tax year in April. However, in practice, the complex process of agreeing and implementing a pay rise for hundreds of thousands of staff often means that pay rises end up having to be backdated to cover the period between April and whenever changes in pay are actually implemented by NHS finance teams, which is likely to be October this year. The NHS pay rise has only been agreed twice before April in the past 5 years.

This year, the new pay award for those on Agenda for Change was announced by the government on 29 July as part of a group of public sector pay deals. You can see what the 5.5% pay rise means for your pay band here.

Will the NHS pay rise for 2024 be backdated?

Yes. When the new pay deal is implemented, it will include additional pay due for April, May, June, July, August, September and October. This could mean you will receive a significant lump sum of additional pay with your first paycheque under the new pay deal. This could amount to several hundred pounds, or even thousands for those on the highest pay bands.

When will I get the NHS pay rise for 2024?

The NHS pay rise was announced in late July 2024. It usually takes about a month from announcement of the yearly pay deal for all of the detail of the pay deal to emerge and NHS finance teams to update their payroll.

However, this year NHS Employers have advised that the pay rise is likely not to be reflected until October's pay. It is unclear why pay will be delayed so long - the hold up may be related to the larger than expected pay rise; most NHS organisations were budgeting for a rise of about 3%.

Will the NHS pay rise for 2024 be paid this month?

No - the NHS pay rise will not be paid in August pay packets. NHS Employers have advised that payment will not take place until October. Back pay will be included for the period between April and October.

How was the NHS pay rise for 2024 decided?

To try and protect the NHS pay rise from becoming tied up in political debate, the government asks the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) to provide recommendations on what it thinks is both affordable for the NHS and fair for NHS staff. The Pay Review Body is normally made up of economists, HR experts and people who have held senior trade union roles in the past. Board members are appointed by the government.

The recommendations provided by the PRB take the form of a lengthy report including highly detailed recommendations on pay and related matters and evidence from trade unions, other industry bodies and the Treasury - you can read previous reports on the PRB website.

Why did my NHS pay increase in April 2024?

Most NHS staff will have a small increase in their take home pay from April 2024 onwards. This is not a result of a new NHS pay deal; the increase is because the government has reduced National Insurance contributions. This means that most staff will take home more of their pay after tax. For most staff this will be an increase of between £25-£100 in the amount that reaches their bank account.

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What are NHS Keeping In Touch (KIT) days?

admin - December 29, 2023

If you're about to go on maternity, paternity, or shared patental leave, you've probably heard about Keeping In Touch (KIT) days.

KIT days are days which you work during your time away, without bringing to an end your maternity or paternity leave. By law in the UK, you can work up to 10 KIT days - if you work more than this you will lose some of your maternity or paternity pay eligibility.

UK law also states that KIT days are voluntary for both the employee and employer. You can't be forced to do KIT days, and you can't force your employer to allow you KIT days.

How much will I get paid for KIT days?

According to the NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions, you will receive some form of additional compensation for a KIT day. What exactly this entails depends on where you are in terms of your maternity leave allocation:

If you are in your period of full pay maternity leave, you will receive an additional day of annual leave allocation for each KIT day worked.
If you are in any other period of maternity leave (e.g. half pay), you will be paid at your normal hourly or daily rate, less any occupational or statutory payments you are receiving. In practice this may mean that your pay is "topped up" to your full rate for the hours you have worked. You may also be able to agree to receive additional annual leave in lieu of payment.

It is worth noting that according to the full Agenda for Change terms and conditions, every day that you work (even if you only work for a couple of hours) counts as a a full KIT day in terms of reducing your 10 day allowance. You may want to check with your line manager or HR how this impacts your pay or other compensation if you want to make the most of the extra income you are eligible for via KIT days.

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