NHS Notice Period Calculator

For NHS staff who are resigning or have been given notice: enter your start date, the date notice is given and the notice in your contract, and see the statutory minimum, your leaving date and your last working day. FrontlinePay is independent.

Short answer

There is no national NHS notice table by band. The Handbook (paragraph 19.2) leaves notice periods that differ from the statutory minimum to local agreement, so your notice is in your contract. The law sets the floor: you must give at least one week after a month in the job, and your employer must give at least one week, then one week for each complete year from two years up to twelve weeks. This calculator compares your contract with that floor and works out your leaving date.

Your notice

Include earlier NHS employment only if it counts as continuous for notice. Check with HR.

The day your employer receives it.

Notice in your contract or trust policy (optional)

The NHS Handbook does not set notice by band: paragraph 19.2 leaves it to local agreement, so we cannot guess your figure. Find it in your written statement of terms. Leave blank to see the statutory minimum only.

Leave at the end (optional)

If your manager agrees to you using leave at the end, your last working day is earlier than your leaving date.

Days you normally work

Your leaving date

Enter your start date and the date you give notice

You will see the statutory minimum notice, the notice that applies once your contract is taken into account, and your leaving date.

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Statutory notice your employer must give

This is the minimum under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, for someone with at least a month of continuous service. Your contract can give more, never less.

Complete years of continuous serviceMinimum notice from your employer
One month to under 2 years1 week
2 years2 weeks
3 years3 weeks
5 years5 weeks
8 years8 weeks
10 years10 weeks
11 years11 weeks
12 years or more12 weeks

Employees must give at least one week once they have been continuously employed for one month, whatever their length of service. Under a month, no statutory minimum applies to either side and only the contract counts.

Why the calculator asks you for your contract

You may see claims that NHS notice is one month for lower bands and three months for senior staff. We looked: the Handbook version 63 (published 1 October 2026) has no such table. Paragraph 19.2 says other terms and conditions "shall include" arrangements for carry-over of annual leave, special leave, protection of pay and notice periods where they differ from statutory minimums, and paragraph 19.1 says terms not covered are determined and agreed locally in partnership with staff representatives. That means two staff on the same band at different trusts can have different notice. See our notice periods and second jobs guide for the wider picture.

Leaving date and last working day

The leaving date is the day your employment ends. Your last working day can be earlier if you agree to use your remaining annual leave at the end of your notice. The tool counts back through the days you normally work, treating each as a day of leave, and does not know your bank holidays or rota, so use it as a starting point and agree the dates in writing. The NHS Leaver's Final Pay Checker then works out what is owed for leave you have not used.

How we calculate: method, assumptions and sources

Statutory notice. From section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 as shown on legislation.gov.uk (checked 19 October 2026): an employer must give at least one week to someone continuously employed for one month or more but less than two years, one week for each year of continuous employment from two years to under twelve, and at least twelve weeks from twelve years; an employee must give at least one week after a month. The Northern Ireland equivalent, Article 118 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, was reported with the same terms, which we have not read in full.

Which notice applies. If your employer ends the employment, the tool takes whichever ends later: your contractual notice or the statutory minimum. If you resign, it uses your contract; if you give no contract figure it shows the statutory one-week minimum and says so.

Dates. Weeks are counted as seven days from the date notice is given; months are calendar months, so 19 January plus one month is 19 February, with the last day of a short month used if needed. This is the same convention as our leaver's final pay checker. HR confirms the exact date.

⚠What it does not cover

It does not model probation, fixed-term contracts, dismissal for gross misconduct without notice, pay in lieu of notice or garden leave terms, because those depend on your contract and trust policy. FrontlinePay is independent and this is not legal advice: if you are unsure what you owe or are owed, check with HR, your union representative or Acas.

Sources. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86; NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 19; gov.uk, redundancy notice periods. Last checked 19 October 2026. See our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice do I have to give in the NHS? +
It is whatever your contract or your trust's terms say. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook does not have a table of notice by band or length of service: paragraph 19.2 lists notice periods that differ from statutory minimums as a local matter. The law only requires at least one week from you once you have been continuously employed for a month, so enter your contract figure in the calculator.
Is NHS notice one month, two months or three months? +
You will see all three in trust policies, often longer for more senior posts, but that is local practice and not a national Agenda for Change rule, so we do not assume a figure for any band. Your offer letter or statement of terms is the answer.
How much notice must the NHS give me? +
The longer of your contractual notice and the statutory minimum. Under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 the minimum is one week if you have between one month and two years of continuous service, one week for each complete year from two years, and twelve weeks from twelve years. A contract cannot give you less.
When does my notice start? +
From the day your employer receives it. The calculator counts from the day after, so the last day of employment is the date notice is given plus the notice period. Get written acknowledgement of the date, and ask HR to confirm the leaving date in writing.
What is the difference between my last working day and my leaving date? +
Your leaving date is the last day of employment, when the notice period ends. Your last working day can be earlier if you use annual leave at the end or your employer agrees garden leave. Both are before your final payslip, and any leave you have not used is dealt with in your final pay, which our leaver's final pay checker works out.
Can I leave earlier than my notice period? +
Only if your employer agrees, or you use up leave at the end. Either side can waive notice or agree a payment instead of notice. Without agreement, leaving early can be a breach of contract, so ask your manager and HR to confirm the arrangement in writing.
Does the statutory minimum change for redundancy? +
The same section 86 minimums apply when an employer ends employment for any reason apart from conduct that justifies dismissal without notice, including redundancy. Redundancy has its own rules on consultation and pay, set out in Section 16 of the Handbook and in our redundancy guides.
How is service counted? +
The calculator counts complete years of continuous service up to the date notice is given. The statute says one week for each year of continuous employment but does not explain the counting, so this is our reading. Employment can be continuous across some NHS employers and breaks, which HR can confirm.

Related tools and guides

NHS Notice Periods and Second Jobs Explained

Where your notice comes from and how second jobs are declared.

NHS Leaver's Final Pay Checker

Leave owed, final pay and your pension when you go.

NHS Probation Period Explained

How notice can differ during probation.

NHS Pension Deferred Benefits Explained

What happens to your pension when you leave.

NHS Annual Leave Calculator

Leave left to take or be paid for.

Facing Compulsory Redundancy in the NHS

Notice, consultation and your rights.