NHS conditions of employment
Standard working hours, overtime, annual leave and on-call working arrangements
The standard full-time working week for NHS staff is 37.5 hours. Overtime and annual leave entitlements are also standardised across the NHS.
Find out more about these conditions and entitlements here, along with information on high cost area supplements and on-call working arrangements.
Find out more about NHS employment
NHS annual leave, including public holidays
The number of days of annual leave you are entitled to depends on how long you've worked in the NHS. Any previous periods of continuous service in the NHS are also taken into account.
days a year for first 5 years
days a year after 5 years' service
days a year after 10 years' service
NHS overtime payments
your standard hourly rate for working on bank holidays
You can request time off in lieu instead of overtime.
On-call work
If you are on an NHS Agenda for Change contract and you work on-call, you are entitled to receive an on-call payment. These payments are negotiated locally but have to comply with national principles to ensure a consistent approach and to meet equal pay requirements.
High cost area supplements
If you work in Greater London or the counties immediately surrounding London (the fringe zone), you'll receive extra pay on top of your basic salary as follows:
Your pay and conditions
You can find more in-depth information on all the topics covered on this page in the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook.
Annual pay increments
Each Agenda for Change pay band has a number of points. If you have not reached the maximum point in your pay band, you will progress to the next point each year if your performance is satisfactory and you demonstrate the expected knowledge and skills. Your employer must have a fair appraisal system in place to assess your performance.
The competencies for each band are determined by the Agenda for Change Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF), which sets out the knowledge and skills required for each job role.
You can find more about pay progression on the NHS Employers website.
What is Agenda for Change?
Agenda for Change is the system of standardised pay, terms and conditions for NHS workers
When implemented in the NHS across the UK in 2004, Agenda for Change was the biggest overhaul of NHS-wide pay, terms and conditions in more than 50 years.
We're here for you
If you're an RCN member and need advice on your pay and conditions of employment, you can contact the RCN seven days a week, 365 days a year.
