NHS Annual Leave Carry-Over Checker

For NHS staff with leave still to take as the leave year ends: enter what is left and your trust's carry-over limit, and see what can carry over and how much to book. FrontlinePay is independent.

Short answer

There is no national NHS carry-over limit: the Handbook (paragraph 19.2) leaves arrangements for carry over of annual leave to local agreement, so the figure is in your trust's policy and you enter it here. Some situations have national protection: Acas says up to 4 weeks of statutory leave can carry over after long-term sickness (use it within 18 months), leave you could not take because of maternity-type leave must be carried over, and so must up to 4 weeks if your employer did not let or encourage you to take it.

Your leave

Include public holiday hours you still hold.

Most trusts run 1 April to 31 March, but check your policy.

Your trust's carry-over limit

The NHS Handbook leaves carry-over to local agreement (paragraph 19.2), so we do not assume a figure. Look in your trust's annual leave policy. Leave it blank if you do not know it. Enter 0 if your policy allows none.

What carries over

Enter the leave you have left

You will see what the national rules protect, what your trust's limit allows, and how much to book before the year ends.

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The rules in one table

Your situationWhat the rules saySource
You just have not taken itCarry-over is a local term. Statutory leave must be taken in the leave year unless there is a good reason or a relevant agreement allows carry-over.Handbook 19.2; Acas
Long-term sickness (more than 4 weeks)Up to 4 weeks of statutory leave can be carried over and must be used within 18 months of the end of the leave year. An employer can allow more.Acas
Maternity, adoption, shared parental leaveYou keep your leave and public holidays. Leave you could not use must be allowed to carry into the next leave year; the Handbook suggests agreeing how it is taken, carried over or, where lawful, paid in lieu.Handbook 15.94, 15.95; Acas
Employer did not let, encourage or warn youYou can carry over up to 4 weeks.Acas
Extra contractual leave above the statutory minimumThe contract should say whether and how much can carry over.Acas; Handbook 19.2

For your entitlement in the first place, use the NHS Annual Leave Calculator, and our annual leave entitlement guide covers the tiers and public holidays.

How we calculate: method, assumptions and sources

Your trust's limit. We never fill this in for you. If you leave it blank the checker says it cannot tell you what carries over. If you enter one, it compares the leave you have left to the limit and shows how many hours (and days, at your shift length) are above it, the date to book them by and the average per week left in the year.

Four weeks. Four weeks of leave in hours is four times your contracted weekly hours, so 150 hours at 37.5 hours a week and 90 hours at 22.5. Acas gives the 4-week figure for long-term sick leave and for an employer that failed to let or encourage leave, and we apply it on that basis only.

18 months. The date is 18 calendar months after the last day of your leave year, using the end of the month where the date does not exist. See the FAQ for how Acas words the start of the period.

Sources and dates. Handbook version 63 (paragraphs 19.2, 15.94 and 15.95), read in full text on 19 October 2026; Acas, carrying over holiday (updated 1 October 2026) and sick pay and holiday pay. The gov.uk holiday entitlement guide did not cover carry-over when we read it.

⚠What this is not

It does not know your trust's policy, your approval status or your roster, and it cannot tell you whether a reason counts as a good reason. It is guidance, not legal advice. If you may lose leave through no fault of your own, ask HR in writing, then your union representative or Acas.

Sources. NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook; Acas, carrying over holiday; Acas, sick pay and holiday pay; gov.uk, holiday entitlement. See our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

How much annual leave can I carry over in the NHS? +
It depends on your trust. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook lists arrangements for carry over of annual leave among the terms agreed locally (paragraph 19.2), so there is no national limit, and the figure is in your trust's annual leave policy. Enter it into the checker to see how much you need to book.
Do I lose leave I do not take by the end of the leave year? +
Acas says that without a relevant agreement, statutory leave must be taken within the leave year unless there is a good reason it could not be, such as long-term sick leave. In the NHS, carry-over is agreed locally, so what happens to leave above your trust's limit is decided by its policy. Ask HR in writing if you cannot take leave for a reason that is not your fault.
What happens to my leave if I am off sick for a long time? +
Acas says that if you are on long-term sick leave, meaning more than 4 weeks, you can carry over up to 4 weeks of statutory leave you could not take, and you must use it within 18 months of the end of the leave year in which it was accrued. An employer can allow more. The checker works out 4 weeks of your hours and the 18-month date.
What if I was on maternity leave? +
Acas says that if you could not take your holiday because of maternity leave, you must be allowed to carry it into the next leave year. The Handbook (paragraph 15.95) says that where unused leave exceeds the local carry-over provisions, you and your employer should agree whether you take it before or after your leave, carry it over, or, in some cases, are paid in lieu. Leave and public holidays keep building up during paid and unpaid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (paragraph 15.94).
What if my manager would not let me take my leave? +
Acas says that if your employer did not let you take all your holiday, did not encourage you to, or did not tell you that unused holiday would be lost, you can carry over up to 4 weeks. Raise it with your manager in writing and keep a copy, and ask your union representative if it is not resolved.
Is carried-over leave paid out if I leave? +
Unused statutory leave is normally paid when you leave, and gov.uk says an employer must pay for untaken statutory leave even on dismissal for gross misconduct. Our leaver's final pay checker works out what is owed on your numbers. Leave beyond the statutory amount depends on your contract and trust policy.
Is the 18 months counted from the end of the leave year or the date it is carried over? +
Acas's carrying over page counts 18 months from the end of the leave year in which the leave was accrued. Another Acas page on sick pay and holiday pay counts from the date it is carried over. For leave carried into the next year these are the same day, so the checker counts 18 months from the end of the leave year. If you are close to the date, ask HR to confirm it in writing.
Does the 4 weeks apply to all my NHS leave? +
No. The 4 weeks Acas describes is statutory leave. Agenda for Change gives more than the statutory minimum for most staff, and how the extra leave is carried over follows your contract and your trust's policy, which can be more generous than the statutory rules. The checker shows the part the national rules protect and treats the rest as a local matter.

Related tools and guides

NHS Annual Leave Calculator

Your entitlement and what is left, in days and hours.

NHS Annual Leave Tracker

Log booked leave through the year.

NHS Annual Leave Entitlement Explained

Service tiers, public holidays and part-time pro rata.

NHS Leaver's Final Pay Checker

What unused leave is worth when you leave.

Buying and Selling Annual Leave

Local schemes that change your leave total.

NHS Maternity Dates Planner

Plan leave around maternity dates.