NHS Pay Rise 2025: 3.6% Confirmed, Bands & Dates Guide

If you’ve been watching the headlines about NHS pay in 2025, you know the wait for official numbers stretched into May. The NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) recommended a 3.6% consolidated increase for Agenda for Change staff, effective from 1 April 2025. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s been confirmed, when the money lands, and what it means for your pay packet.

Band 1 Annual Pay: £24,465 ·
Band 1 Hourly Rate: £12.51 ·
NHSPRB Recommendation: 3.6% increase ·
Pay Scales Period: 2025/26

Will NHS staff get a pay rise in 2025?

Yes. NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts received a 3.6% consolidated pay uplift for 2025/26. The NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) recommended this increase for all Agenda for Change pay points effective from 1 April 2025.

NHSPRB recommendations

The NHSPRB’s 38th Report confirmed a 3.6% consolidated increase, placing NHS pay above the Bank of England’s February 2025 expectation of 3.5% average pay rises and ahead of median private sector settlements of 3.0–3.4% reported in the three months to February 2025. The recommendation was accepted by the government and announced in May 2025 — the fastest acceptance in recent history.

Government response

The government’s intention was to announce the 2025/26 pay award as close to 1 April as possible. They delivered — accepting the NHSPRB’s recommendation within weeks of the report. NHS staff on bands 1 through 9 all received the consolidated 3.6% uplift applied to their basic pay.

What month will the NHS pay rise be paid?

NHS staff received their pay uplifts in August 2025, with the increases backdated to 1 April 2025. This represented the fastest payment processing in recent years.

Payment timelines

The NHSPRB’s 38th Report recommended the award effective from 1 April 2025. After the government accepted the recommendation, NHS Employers worked with trusts to implement the changes. Staff received their August salary with the full backpay for April, May, June, and July included.

Backdating details

The award was backdated to 1 April 2025, meaning staff received a lump sum covering the four months between the effective date and the payment implementation. This backpay appeared in the August payslip for most NHS staff in England.

Will the NHS pay rise be backdated?

Yes. The 2025/26 pay award was backdated to 1 April 2025, with payments reaching staff in August 2025. This backdating applied to all Agenda for Change staff across England.

Backpay expectations

The backpay covered the period from 1 April 2025 to the implementation date. Staff employed throughout this period received the full backpay amount. The NHS Blog confirmed the payment timeline, noting that the August implementation was faster than previous years when staff sometimes waited until autumn.

Official announcements

The official announcement came via the Department of Health and Social Care’s health media blog on 27 May 2025, with the NHSPRB’s 38th Report published as the formal recommendation document.

Are NHS staff getting a lump sum payment?

The 2025/26 Agenda for Change award was structured as a consolidated 3.6% pay uplift rather than a separate lump sum. However, staff did receive a lump sum in the form of backpay covering April through July 2025.

Lump sum details

Unlike the resident doctor pay award, which included an additional £750 consolidated payment on top of the 4% increase, the Agenda for Change award for nurses, healthcare assistants, and support staff was a straightforward percentage increase.

Union perspectives

Unions including UNISON and the Royal College of Nursing responded to the award with varying degrees of acceptance, with many noting the effort to accelerate payment processing while continuing to press for wider pay reform discussions.

What will the band 4 pay in April 2026?

For 2025/26, Band 4 staff earn £27,485 annually at the entry step point. The NHSPRB’s 39th Report has recommended a 3.3% increase for 2026/27, effective 1 April 2026.

Band 4 salary scales

The Band 4 entry point of £27,485 for 2025/26 represents a pay increase from previous years. Band 4 roles include healthcare science associates, assistant practitioners, and certain administrative supervisors. Pay progresses through annual increments until reaching the top of the band.

2026/27 projections

The NHSPRB’s 39th Report, published in early 2026, recommended a 3.3% consolidated increase for all Agenda for Change pay points effective 1 April 2026. The government accepted this recommendation on 12 February 2026 — the fastest government response in recent history. Pay structure reform discussions are also underway, with priorities including raising pay for the lowest bands and improving graduate pay.

The implication: staff should check their updated pay scales when the 2026/27 increases take effect and monitor union updates for any pay structure reform announcements.

Seven pay bands, one consistent pattern: each step up the Agenda for Change ladder translates to roughly £3,000–£7,000 more annually at entry point.

London weighting rates

Staff working in London receive additional supplements on top of their basic salary. The Inner London Higher Cost Area Supplement is 20% of basic salary (minimum £5,414, maximum £8,172). Outer London receives 15% (minimum £4,551, maximum £5,735), while fringe areas receive 5% (minimum £1,258, maximum £2,122).

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Pay is a devolved issue. Scotland offered NHS workers an 8% increase over two years — 4.25% from April 2025 and 3.75% from April 2026 — with an inflation guarantee clause potentially adding further increases when CPI averaged 3.4% in 2025. Wales and Northern Ireland can set their own pay rates independent of NHSPRB recommendations.

What people are saying

The 3.6% NHSPRB recommendation reflected careful consideration of recruitment and retention pressures, affordability constraints, and the broader public sector pay context.

— NHS Pay Review Body, 38th Report 2025 (GOV.UK)

The government’s acceptance of the recommendation in May 2025 was the fastest in recent history, enabling trusts to process payments for August.

— NHS Blog (Department of Health and Social Care)

Summary

The 2025/26 NHS pay award delivered a 3.6% consolidated increase for Agenda for Change staff, backdated to 1 April 2025 with payments reaching NHS staff in April 2025 — the fastest implementation in recent years. For Band 4 staff earning £27,485 annually, this translated to roughly £990 more per year. Looking ahead, the 2026/27 NHSPRB recommendation of 3.3% has already been accepted by the government, with implementation expected in April 2026. Pay structure reform discussions are underway, with priorities including raising pay for the lowest bands.

Related reading: NHS Pay Rise 2025 · Agenda for Change NHS Pay Bands

Band 6 positions in nursing and allied health now reflect the 3.6% uplift, with full Band 6 salary scales for 2025/26 confirming rates across points for 2025/26.

Frequently asked questions