NHS Pay
Is Your NHS Pay Keeping Up With Inflation? 2026/27 Check
Independent guidance — not affiliated with NHS England or DHSC
The ONS published September's inflation figure on 21 October 2026: CPI was 3.5% in the 12 months to September 2026. The 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay rise was a flat 3.3% in England and 3.75% in Scotland. This page lets you check your own band and pay point in a few seconds, then shows where the money moves besides the yearly award.
Short answer
In England the 3.3% award is about 0.2% behind 3.5% CPI in real terms. In Scotland the 3.75% award is about 0.2% ahead of it. In pounds, on a Band 5 first point, England's rise falls £63 a year short of matching inflation. Pensions in payment will likely rise by 3.5% in April 2027, which is not yet confirmed.
Check your own pay point
Pick where you work, your band and your pay point. Everything is worked out from the published 2025/26 and 2026/27 scales and the ONS CPI figure, in your browser.
Your 2026/27 pay rise against inflation
Your rise was 0.2% behind inflation
Band 5, point 1 of 3: £31,049 became £32,073, a rise of £1,024 (3.30%) a year before tax. CPI inflation was 3.5% (September 2026), which on £31,049 is about £1,087. So the rise is £63 a year short of keeping pace, about £5.25 a month.
Pay rise a year
£1,024
Needed to match CPI
£1,087
Gap a year
-£63
After tax, a month
+£55.77
After tax and NHS Pension the rise is about £55.77 a month (£69.46 would have matched 3.5% on your take-home). This is an estimate: the award took effect on 1 April 2026 and CPI is the 12 months to September 2026, so they cover different periods, and your own spending may not follow CPI.
Your take-home at this point
Net pay after tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan.
Is a promotion worth it?
Free: what a move up a band is worth after tax and lost enhancements.
Your 2026/27 pay rise and back pay
The new salary and any back pay from the award.
What nights and weekends add
Enhancements are on top of the award and inflation-proof until the next one.
If you are retired, or about to be
NHS pensions in payment follow September CPI, so a pension is likely to rise by 3.5% in April 2027 (not confirmed yet; last April's rise was 3.8%). On a pension of £10,000 that is about £350 a year. Pay for staff rose 3.3% in the same year. Work out your own April 2027 rise.
The headline numbers
| England | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 pay uplift (Agenda for Change) | 3.3% | 3.75% |
| CPI inflation, 12 months to September 2026 (ONS) | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Uplift minus CPI, percentage points | -0.2 | 0.25 |
| Real-terms change in pay, about | -0.2% | 0.2% |
The uplift is the same percentage at every point of every band in each country (the published tables work out at 3.30% and 3.75%), so the gap in percentage terms is the same for everyone in England and for everyone in Scotland. What differs is the pounds, which is what the check above and the table below show. Our NHS pay rise 2026/27 guide explains how the award was agreed and the separate tracks for doctors.
By band: pounds a year at the first pay point
"Needed" is what the 2025/26 pay would have to grow by to rise at CPI (3.5%). A negative gap means the award fell short of that. These are figures before tax, at the first point of each band; the check above does the same sum for any point.
England
| Band | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Rise | Needed to match CPI | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £24,465 | £25,272 | £807 | £856 | -£49 |
| Band 3 | £24,937 | £25,760 | £823 | £873 | -£50 |
| Band 4 | £27,485 | £28,392 | £907 | £962 | -£55 |
| Band 5 | £31,049 | £32,073 | £1,024 | £1,087 | -£63 |
| Band 6 | £38,682 | £39,959 | £1,277 | £1,354 | -£77 |
| Band 7 | £47,810 | £49,387 | £1,577 | £1,673 | -£96 |
| Band 8a | £55,690 | £57,528 | £1,838 | £1,949 | -£111 |
Scotland
| Band | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Rise | Needed to match CPI | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,731 | £26,696 | £965 | £901 | +£64 |
| Band 3 | £28,051 | £29,103 | £1,052 | £982 | +£70 |
| Band 4 | £30,397 | £31,537 | £1,140 | £1,064 | +£76 |
| Band 5 | £33,295 | £34,544 | £1,249 | £1,165 | +£84 |
| Band 6 | £41,668 | £43,231 | £1,563 | £1,458 | +£105 |
| Band 7 | £50,935 | £52,845 | £1,910 | £1,783 | +£127 |
| Band 8a | £62,772 | £65,125 | £2,353 | £2,197 | +£156 |
For every band side by side, see the Agenda for Change pay scales; for how Scotland and England compare on hours, tax and leave, see NHS Scotland vs England pay compared.
What the comparison can and cannot tell you
- Different periods. The pay rise took effect on 1 April 2026. CPI is the change in prices over the 12 months to September 2026. Prices rose before and after April, so the two do not line up exactly.
- CPI is an average. Rent, mortgage costs, childcare, fuel and food can rise faster or slower than the average basket. Your own inflation may be higher or lower.
- Gross, then net. The check shows the rise before tax and after tax and NHS Pension. The after-tax figure uses the 2026/27 tax rules at both pay levels, so it is an estimate.
- It is not your whole income. Unsocial hours, overtime, bank work and any High Cost Area Supplement are on top, and they move with the award too. Use the NHS Pay Calculator for your full month.
ℹWhat this page does not say
It does not say whether the pay award was fair or what the next one should be. Whether pay has kept up over a longer period depends on the starting year you pick, and unions and the Government use different ones. The government's evidence for 2027/28 plans for a 2.4% uplift, which is not an award; see NHS pay award 2027/28 for what is and is not known.
Pensioners and staff compared
NHS pensions in payment follow September CPI, so they are likely to rise by 3.5% in April 2027 (not confirmed; the Government usually confirms the figure early in the new year, and confirmed last year's 3.8% on 26 February 2026). Staff pay rose 3.3% in England this April. That is a coincidence of timing rather than a policy, but it is why many readers ask the question. If you draw a pension, or are about to, our April 2027 increase page has a free estimator, and the pensioner net income calculator shows what is left after tax with the State Pension.
What moves your pay besides the award
The yearly award is the smallest lever most people have. These move more money, and each has a free tool or guide:
- Pay point increments. Moving up a point on your band is usually worth more than the award, and the check shows the exact amount for you. See pay progression and increments explained.
- Moving up a band. The promotion worth-it calculator compares your take-home before and after, including the enhancements you might lose. See how long band progression takes.
- Nights, weekends and bank holidays. The Section 2 enhancements are percentages of your basic pay, so they rise with the award. The unsocial hours calculator works out your own month.
- Overtime. Rates and when they apply are in our overtime rates guide.
- Tax you may be able to claim back. Uniform, laundry, fees and mileage can all reduce your tax. The nurse tax relief guide and the free tax relief calculator show what you could claim.
- Salary sacrifice. Car leasing and similar schemes change your tax and your pension. The salary sacrifice impact calculator shows the real cost.
How we got these figures
Pay figures come from the published Agenda for Change scales for 2025/26 and 2026/27 (England: NHS Employers; Scotland: circular PCS(AFC)2026/1). Inflation is the ONS Consumer Prices Index annual rate for September 2026, 3.5%, published 21 October 2026 (ONS consumer price inflation, September 2026). Take-home figures use the same tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension rules as our NHS Pay Calculator. FrontlinePay is independent and not affiliated with the NHS. Last checked 21 October 2026.
Related guides and tools
NHS Pay Rise 2026/27
How the award was agreed, track by track.
NHS Pay Award 2027/28: What to Expect
What is and is not known about the next award.
NHS Pension Increase April 2027
What the likely 3.5% adds to your pension.
Autumn Budget 2026: Take-Home and Pensions
What is confirmed and what to watch on 28 October.
Pay Progression and Increments Explained
When and how you move up a point.
NHS Pay Calculator
Your full take-home at any band and point.
Frequently asked questions
Did the 2026/27 NHS pay rise beat inflation? +
Which inflation figure should I use? +
Why does the check use the September figure when the pay rise started in April? +
Is a pay point or a band move worth more than the pay award? +
What about Wales and Northern Ireland? +
Will NHS pensions rise by 3.5% in April 2027? +
Free download: 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay scales
One page, every band, annual and hourly. We'll also email you when a pay award, back pay date or pay-scale change is confirmed.
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