NHS Band Regrading Evidence Pack
If your job has outgrown its band, find out honestly whether you have a case worth raising, then turn your own duties into a request letter, an evidence log, an appeal draft and a briefing for your union rep.
New to this? Start with NHS Band Regrading and Appeals: What Actually Happens and How to Challenge Your NHS Pay Band. Last updated October 2026.
Short answer
NHS bands come from the Job Evaluation Scheme, which scores the job, not the person, so a regrading request only makes sense where your duties have genuinely changed compared with your job description. Experience, performance and length of service are not grounds. The usual route is to update your job description, talk to your manager, raise a review under your trust's own process and keep dated evidence. A re-evaluation looks at the whole job, so the band can stay the same, rise or, less commonly, fall. The readiness check here is free. The documents are a one-off £9.99, with no subscription and 6 months of access.
⚠Read this first
This is guidance, not HR or legal advice. A re-evaluation looks at the whole job, so the band can stay the same, go up or, less commonly, go down. Each trust has its own job evaluation policy, forms and deadlines, so check yours and speak to your union or staff-side rep before you raise a request. The pack never predicts an outcome.
About your post
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For the free check you only need to describe one duty in a sentence or two. The more detail you add, the more specific your documents will be. See a worked example of the documents.
If left blank, documents say "my line manager".
If your browser shows a plain text box, type something like 2025-03.
Your duties (1 of 6)
Add up to 6 duties that have changed or grown. Concrete, dated, specific examples help more than general statements.
Free worked example. Fictional person and trust
Example: regrading request letter, evidence log and briefing note
Jordan Lee, a Band 4 clinic coordinator at a made-up trust, has taken on rota and budget duties that are not in the job description and wants a review of the post.
Everything below was produced by the pack itself from those made-up details. It is an example only: the names, trust and facts are invented, and your own documents are built from your own answers. Square brackets mark the places you fill in or check yourself.
Request letter to your line manager and HRExample
A polite, factual request for a job re-evaluation (changed job review) that summarises each changed duty and asks for the date to be recorded.
Jordan Lee Clinic Coordinator, Outpatients Example NHS Foundation Trust 14 October 2026 To: Chris Doyle (line manager) Copy: [HR / job evaluation team contact] Subject: Request for a job re-evaluation (changed job review) - Clinic Coordinator, Band 4 Dear Chris Doyle, I am writing to request a review of my post, Clinic Coordinator (Band 4) in Outpatients, because the duties I carry out have changed since March 2025. I have been in this post since May 2023. I understand that banding under the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme is based on the job rather than the individual. This request is therefore about the duties of the post as it now operates. It is not about my performance or my length of service. We have discussed these changes and you have agreed that the role has changed. I would be grateful for your support in taking this forward. The main changes are: 1. I now build and run the weekly clinic rota for 14 staff and arrange cover for sickness at short notice. - Since: March 2025; how often: weekly - Job description: this is not mentioned in my current job description - Previously done by / now done instead of: A Band 5 sister who left the department in February 2025 - Scale (people, value or patients): 14 staff 2. I manage the department consumables budget and approve orders up to £500 without sign-off. - Since: June 2025; how often: monthly - Job description: it is covered as "Order supplies as required", but I now do it at a larger scale or higher level - Scale (people, value or patients): £18,000 annual budget I would like to ask for the following: 1. A review of my job description so that it reflects the duties above, and a copy of the current version for my records. I would like to agree an update to it as a first step. 2. Confirmation of Example NHS Foundation Trust's job evaluation or re-banding policy, which form or process I should follow, who will be involved, and the expected timescales. 3. Confirmation that the date of this request (14 October 2026) will be recorded as the date the review was raised. I understand that where a review results in a higher band the change is typically backdated to when the job change was agreed or the review was formally raised, and I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing how this works locally. 4. A meeting to go through the changes in more detail. My union or staff-side representative has been told about this request. I am keeping a dated log of these duties and can share it ahead of any meeting. I understand that the outcome of a review is not guaranteed and depends on an evaluation of the whole post. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Jordan Lee
Duties evidence logExample
A table of your own duties against what your job description says, mapped to Job Evaluation factors, plus a four-week diary and a guide to making entries concrete.
DUTIES EVIDENCE LOG
Name: Jordan Lee
Job title: Clinic Coordinator (Band 4)
Department/service: Outpatients
Trust: Example NHS Foundation Trust
Duties changed from (approx.): March 2025
Log prepared: 14 October 2026
This log is about the job as it now operates, not about performance or length of service.
PART 1 - DUTIES TABLE (one row per duty)
| Duty | Job description says | What I actually do | Since | Frequency | People / value | JES factors touched |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Duty 1 | Not in my job description | I now build and run the weekly clinic rota for 14 staff and arrange cover for sickness at short notice. (Previously: A Band 5 sister who left the department in February 2025) | March 2025 | weekly | 14 staff | Planning; Human resources |
| Duty 2 | In my job description, but now at a larger scale or higher level: "Order supplies as required" | I manage the department consumables budget and approve orders up to £500 without sign-off. | June 2025 | monthly | £18,000 annual budget | Financial and physical resources; Freedom to act |
PART 2 - FOUR-WEEK DIARY (copy this table, add rows if useful)
Choose four representative weeks, ideally spread over a month or more, and fill in an entry for each week as it happens rather than from memory.
| Week | Week commencing | Duty no. | What I did (specific) | Time spent | Who would normally do this / sign-off needed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Week 1 | [week commencing date] | [duty number] | [what I did, in specific terms] | [time spent] | [who would normally do this, or sign-off needed] |
| Week 2 | [week commencing date] | [duty number] | [what I did, in specific terms] | [time spent] | [who would normally do this, or sign-off needed] |
| Week 3 | [week commencing date] | [duty number] | [what I did, in specific terms] | [time spent] | [who would normally do this, or sign-off needed] |
| Week 4 | [week commencing date] | [duty number] | [what I did, in specific terms] | [time spent] | [who would normally do this, or sign-off needed] |
PART 3 - MAKE EACH ENTRY CONCRETE
Panels can only score what they can verify. Describe what happened, not the conclusion you want them to reach. For every entry, try to include:
- How often, and since when.
- What your job description says about it, compared with what you actually do.
- Who did it before you, or which band above would normally do it.
- How many people you supervise or train, budget values, or patients per week, where relevant.
- One specific, dated example: the situation, the options, what you decided and what would have happened if you had got it wrong.
EXAMPLE ONLY (generic wording, replace with your own details):
Weaker: "I regularly work at a high level of autonomy and responsibility for patient care beyond my current band."
Stronger: "Over the past six months I have independently triaged and managed [specific patient group/situation] on [X] occasions per week without direct senior sign-off. My job description describes escalation to a band [Y] before any such decision."
The second version gives a panel something concrete to score. The first only restates a conclusion. Using the scheme's own factor wording ("high level of autonomy", "significant responsibility") instead of examples rarely helps.
Keep dates on everything. If a review results in a higher band, any backdating is typically linked to when the job change was agreed or the review was formally raised, and this is set locally.Appeal-grounds draftExample
A structured draft to adapt for your trust's appeal form if you disagree with the outcome, built from only the factors your duties map to.
APPEAL GROUNDS - DRAFT **REMINDER: confirm your trust's appeal deadline and form before you do anything else. The national scheme gives three months from being notified of the outcome to request a review, but some trusts run a shorter local appeal (for example a JE2 form within 14 calendar days of the written outcome). If you are unsure which applies, work to the shortest deadline. Ask your union or staff-side rep to review this draft before you submit it.** Prepared: 14 October 2026. Paste or adapt the sections below into your trust's appeal form (often called a JE2). Your trust may use a different form name or layout. 1. MY DETAILS Name: Jordan Lee Job title and band: Clinic Coordinator, Band 4 Department/service: Outpatients Trust: Example NHS Foundation Trust Date the review was raised: [date] 2. THE OUTCOME I AM APPEALING Outcome received: [band confirmed / new band / job matched to profile name] Date of written outcome: [date] Process used: [job matching / full evaluation / not stated] [Delete before sending: if your post was matched to a national profile, a review can be on the ground that the post does not match that profile, but not on the ground that the national profile itself is wrong (NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, section 47). Frame your grounds around how your duties differ from the profile or evaluation you were given.] 3. THE FACTORS I CHALLENGE AND WHY The post is evaluated, not the person. I am not appealing on the basis of my performance or length of service. My grounds are that the duties below, which have been carried out since March 2025, are not reflected in the evaluation. Factor: Planning and organisational skills I challenge the outcome on this factor because the following duties are not reflected in how the post was evaluated: - Duty 1: I now build and run the weekly clinic rota for 14 staff and arrange cover for sickness at short notice. (weekly, since March 2025; 14 staff; previously: A Band 5 sister who left the department in February 2025) - [What the outcome or matched profile said about this factor, and how my evidence differs.] Factor: Responsibilities - Financial and physical resources I challenge the outcome on this factor because the following duties are not reflected in how the post was evaluated: - Duty 2: I manage the department consumables budget and approve orders up to £500 without sign-off. (monthly, since June 2025; £18,000 annual budget) - [What the outcome or matched profile said about this factor, and how my evidence differs.] Factor: Responsibilities - Human resources I challenge the outcome on this factor because the following duties are not reflected in how the post was evaluated: - Duty 1: I now build and run the weekly clinic rota for 14 staff and arrange cover for sickness at short notice. (weekly, since March 2025; 14 staff; previously: A Band 5 sister who left the department in February 2025) - [What the outcome or matched profile said about this factor, and how my evidence differs.] Factor: Freedom to act I challenge the outcome on this factor because the following duties are not reflected in how the post was evaluated: - Duty 2: I manage the department consumables budget and approve orders up to £500 without sign-off. (monthly, since June 2025; £18,000 annual budget) - [What the outcome or matched profile said about this factor, and how my evidence differs.] 4. EVIDENCE I AM REFERRING TO - Updated job description (update planned: [date agreed]) - Duties evidence log, including a four-week diary (attached) - Confirmation from Chris Doyle that the role has changed (date: [date], form: [email/meeting note]) - [Any rotas, emails, budget statements or training records that support the figures above] 5. WHAT I AM ASKING FOR - A review of the outcome by the appeal panel, taking the evidence above into account. - Written reasons for the decision, factor by factor. - Confirmation of the date from which any change would take effect, and how backdating is handled locally. I understand that an appeal looks at the whole post and that the outcome is not guaranteed. Signed: Jordan Lee Date: [date]
Union rep briefing noteExample
A one-page summary of your role, timeline, duties, what your manager has said and the evidence still to gather, ready to hand to your rep.
UNION / STAFF-SIDE REP BRIEFING NOTE Prepared: 14 October 2026 MEMBER AND ROLE Name: Jordan Lee Post: Clinic Coordinator (Band 4), Outpatients Trust: Example NHS Foundation Trust Rep already told: Yes TIMELINE AND KEY DATES - In post since: May 2023 - Duties changed (approx.): March 2025 - Job description: Not yet updated; an update is planned. - Review raised with manager/HR: [date] - Written outcome received: [date] - Appeal deadline: [confirm from the trust's policy; the national scheme allows three months to request a review, and some trusts set a shorter local limit such as 14 calendar days] WHAT MY MANAGER HAS SAID Chris Doyle agrees the role has changed. [Add date and how it was confirmed.] DUTIES (duty | job description | frequency and since | JES factors) 1. I now build and run the weekly clinic rota for 14 staff and arrange cover for sickness at short notice. | Not in my job description | weekly, since March 2025 | Planning; Human resources 2. I manage the department consumables budget and approve orders up to £500 without sign-off. | In my job description, but now at a larger scale or higher level | monthly, since June 2025 | Financial and physical resources; Freedom to act WHAT I AM ASKING FOR - A review of my post (changed job review / re-banding request) with an updated job description. - The date of my request recorded, with written confirmation of how backdating works locally if the band increases. QUESTIONS FOR YOU - What is the trust's policy and timescale, and is job matching or full evaluation likely? - What is the appeal form and deadline in this trust? - Is there a risk the band could stay the same or go down, and how would pay protection apply? EVIDENCE STILL TO GATHER (from my readiness check: 8 of 8 signals met) - Factors with no evidence yet (not every factor will apply): Communication; Knowledge; Analytical; Physical skills; Patient/client care; Policy and service development; Information resources; Research and development; Physical effort; Mental effort; Emotional effort; Working conditions.
What the free check and the pack do
Banding under Agenda for Change comes from the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme, which scores the job, not the person doing it. A regrading request only makes sense where your actual duties have genuinely changed compared with your job description. The free readiness check scores eight signals, such as whether duties go beyond the job description, whether you have dates and specifics, and whether your manager and union rep know. It also maps your duties to the 16 Job Evaluation factors so you can see where you have evidence and where you do not.
The one-off paid pack (£9.99, 6 months of access, no subscription) writes your own details into four editable documents: a request letter to your line manager and HR, a duties evidence log with a four-week diary, an appeal-grounds draft for your trust's appeal form, and a one-page union rep briefing note. Your answers stay in your browser and are not sent to us.
The pack does not predict an outcome and it is not a substitute for your trust's own policy. Most evaluation is job matching against national profiles, with full evaluation used where a role does not match well or a matched outcome is challenged, and the process is set locally.
How to ask for an NHS band regrading, step by step
- Compare your duties with your job description. Note which duties it does not mention or understates, with dates. Experience and performance are not grounds. Changed duties are.
- Update your job description first. An out-of-date job description is a common reason a review goes badly. Ask your manager to update it.
- Talk to your line manager. Either you or your manager can usually trigger a review, but their agreement makes the process smoother. Note the date of the conversation.
- Check your trust's job evaluation or re-banding policy. Each trust runs its own process and forms within the national scheme. Confirm yours, and any shorter local deadlines, with HR or the job evaluation team.
- Involve your union or staff-side rep early. They usually know the local process and what evidence has worked.
- Raise the review in writing and record the date. Where a review results in a higher band, the change is typically backdated to when the job change was agreed or the review was formally raised. This is set locally, so ask for it in writing.
- If you disagree with the outcome, check the appeal route straight away. The national scheme allows three months from notification to request a review, and some trusts add a shorter local step.
Banding request letter: what to include
A good request is calm, specific and about the job. It names the post and band, says when the duties changed and lists each changed duty with how often you do it, since when, what the job description says and how it differs. It says plainly that the request is about the duties of the post and not about performance or length of service. It asks for the job description to be reviewed, for confirmation of the trust's policy and process and timescales, for the date of the request to be recorded as the date the review was raised, and for a meeting. It acknowledges that the outcome is not guaranteed. The worked example above shows a real one built from made-up duties.
The 16 NHS Job Evaluation factors
Every job is scored against the same sixteen factors, grouped as the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook groups them. The free check maps each of your duties to the factors it touches so you can see where your evidence is strong and where there is none. Not every factor will apply to every job.
| Group | Factor | What it looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | Communication and relationship skills | Sharing information, handling difficult conversations, persuading or reassuring others. |
| Skills | Knowledge, training and experience | The depth of knowledge and training the job itself requires (not the person's own CV). |
| Skills | Analytical and judgemental skills | Analysing information and making judgements, from routine to complex or conflicting. |
| Skills | Planning and organisational skills | Planning and organising activities, from own work to complex programmes or services. |
| Skills | Physical skills | Manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination or accuracy needed to carry out the work. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Patient/client care | Responsibility for delivering, planning or overseeing care, treatment or services to patients or clients. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Policy and service development | Implementing, writing or shaping policies, procedures and service changes. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Financial and physical resources | Budgets, stock, equipment, supplies, and authority to spend or order. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Human resources | Supervising, managing, training, rostering or developing other staff or learners. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Information resources | Creating, maintaining or being accountable for records, data and information systems. |
| Responsibilities | Responsibilities - Research and development | Undertaking or supporting research, audit, evaluation or development work. |
| Responsibilities | Freedom to act | How far you work within defined procedures or make decisions without direction or sign-off. |
| Effort | Physical effort | Sustained or demanding physical effort, such as lifting, moving people or awkward postures. |
| Effort | Mental effort | Sustained concentration, frequent interruptions or unpredictable work patterns. |
| Effort | Emotional effort | Exposure to distressing or emotionally demanding circumstances. |
| Working conditions | Working conditions | Exposure to unpleasant or hazardous conditions, such as body fluids, aggression or hazardous environments. |
Evidence that works: weaker and stronger wording
Panels can only score what they can verify, so describe what happened rather than the conclusion you want them to reach. Compare these two entries:
- Weaker: "I regularly work at a high level of autonomy and responsibility for patient care beyond my current band."
- Stronger: "Over the past six months I have independently triaged and managed [a specific patient group] on [X] occasions per week without direct senior sign-off. My job description describes escalation to a band [Y] before any such decision."
The second gives a panel something concrete to score. The first only restates a conclusion. The pack's evidence log walks you through making every entry concrete, with how often, since when, what your job description says, who did it before and the scale involved.
Deadlines, JE2 forms and reviews
The national scheme gives three months from being notified of the outcome to request a review, with no further right of appeal after it. Some trusts add a shorter local appeal step, such as a JE2 form within 14 calendar days of the written outcome. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (section 47) also says that appeals may not be made against the evaluation of a nationally profiled post: there is a right to a review on the grounds that the post does not match the national profile, but not on the grounds that the national profile itself is wrong. Confirm your trust's form and deadline the day you are notified, and work to the shortest if you are unsure. Our guide on how to challenge your NHS pay band covers the appeal stage in more detail.
Sources
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (Agenda for Change), section 47: reviews, appeals and job evaluations, published by NHS Employers
- NHS Job Evaluation Handbook, published by NHS Employers
- Our guide: NHS band regrading and appeals explained
- How we write and check our guidance
Related guides
How to Challenge Your NHS Pay Band
Requesting a re-evaluation and appealing, step by step.
NHS Band Regrading and Appeals Explained
What regrading is, what it is not, and how to build genuine evidence.
Agenda for Change Pay Scales 2026/27
What each band pays, and how the Job Evaluation Scheme decides it.
Agenda for Change Explained
The wider system regrading sits inside.
NHS Pay Protection Explained
What happens to your pay if a band changes through no fault of your own.
NHS Career Earnings Forecaster
See what a higher band could be worth over up to 15 years.
NHS Promotion Pay Comparison
Compare pay at your current band and the next one.
NHS Staff Representation Explained
Which unions and bodies can help you raise a review.
NHS Back Pay Claim: Free Check and Pack
Free readiness check and time-limit guide, then claim letter with calculation table, payroll records request, escalation letter, grievance wording, follow-ups and rep briefing.
Frequently asked questions
Does my experience or length of service count towards regrading? +
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What are the 16 NHS Job Evaluation factors? +
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Can my band go down if I ask for a review? +
How long does a regrading request take? +
Will a higher band be backdated? +
What is a JE2? +
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Is regrading the same as moving up a pay point? +
Do I need my union to ask for regrading? +
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Job evaluation, re-banding and appeals processes are set locally by individual NHS trusts, health boards and ICBs, so form names, deadlines and procedure vary. FrontlinePay is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHS England, DHSC, NHS Employers, or any NHS trust, health board or ICB.