What day of the month do NHS staff get paid?

Like almost all jobs in the UK, NHS staff are paid “in arrears”. This means that pay is received at the end of the agreed pay period, reflecting work that has been completed. Typically, most full-time NHS staff get paid on a monthly basis at the end of the month, although certain roles (e.g. bank staff) may get paid on a fortnightly or even weekly schedule.

The specific day of the month on which NHS staff are paid varies between organisations. Some NHS organisations pay their staff on the last working day of each month, while others may have set dates such as the 25th or 28th of the month. The best way to find out your pay date is to check with your local HR team.

When will I get paid if I start a new job halfway through a month?

In most cases, if you start at an organisation halfway through a month, you will get paid for the portion of the month you have worked as usual with other employees.

Most HR teams have a cut-off date for making payroll changes, which is several days before pay is released to staff. This means that in some cases if you start very close to the next payday, you may not receive your pay for your first month on time. If this is the case, you will receive any extra owed money in the next month’s pay at the end of that month. If you are concerned about pay timings as a new starter, you should speak to your local HR team.

If you’re a new starter, you might also want to check out our information on how NHS staff receive their pay.

Will the NHS pay rise be included in pay for April 2024?

No – the NHS pay rise will not be agreed in time for April pay packets, despite being due on the first day of the financial year. The government has delayed announcing the pay rise for NHS staff; we are expecting staff to receive updated pay between June and August 2024. Any pay rise will be backdated as a lump sum.