Nurses in Starmer and Streeting’s NHS England to get 14% lower pay rise ‘on top of’ already lower salaries

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From Nursing Standard on 12 February 2026:

NHS nursing staff to get 3.3% pay rise in April – Nursing staff on Agenda for Change contracts will receive their annual pay award on time for the first time in six years, however unions have expressed their anger at ‘insulting’, below-inflation pay rise. 1

Scottish nurses will get:

..a 3.75% increase in pay in 2026-27. The settlement also provides a guarantee that that the increase in pay in each year will be at least 1 percentage point above the average CPI inflation. If this proves not to be the case, pay rates will be adjusted accordingly.2

BBC Scotland reporters, based on precedent, will tell us this is little more or the same but all you arithmetical sophisticates out there know that a wee percentage difference, when it’s about tens of thousands of pounds might add up to something.

First though, 3.75% is 13.6% higher than 3.3%.

Band 5 covers most registered nurses (newly qualified to experienced) and in England they get (post-2026/27 uplift): Entry ~£32,0733; Top ~£39,043. In Scotland (post-2026/27 uplift): Entry ~£34,494; Top ~£42,977.4

So, that 0.45% more of £34 494 to £42 977, means between £155 and £193 extra on top of already higher salaries.

Sources:

  1. https://rcni.com/nursing-standard/newsroom/news/nhs-nursing-staff-to-get-33-pay-rise-april-220911?utm_campaign=WEEKLY%20BRIEFING%2016.02.26%20-%20REG%20A%20%28ALL%20USER%20DATA%29&utm_content=NHS%20nursing%20staff%20to%20get%203.3%25%20pay%20rise%20in%20April&utm_term=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra
  2. https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/AfC-Pay-Scales-2025-26-and-2026-27.pdf
  3. https://www.nhsbands.co.uk/
  4. https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/AfC-Pay-Scales-2025-26-and-2026-27.pdf

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