Editorial Policy: How We Verify Our Figures
Last updated: 26 September 2026.
Our sources
NHS pay is set through a formal national process, and we go to the primary documents:
- NHS Employers Agenda for Change pay circulars — the authoritative source for annual salaries, pay points and High Cost Area Supplements each pay year.
- NHS Pay Review Body reports — for pay award recommendations and the evidence behind them.
- The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (Agenda for Change) — for overtime, unsocial hours, leave, sick pay and maternity rules.
- NHS Business Services Authority and HMRC guidance — for pension contribution tiers and tax thresholds.
We name the source on the page wherever a figure appears. We do not copy figures from other pay websites.
Update cycle
- Annual pay award: when a new Agenda for Change award is announced, we update all affected tables, label the new pay year (for example "2026/27"), and record the review date on each page.
- Quarterly checks: we re-check developing stories (such as devolved-nation awards and structural reform talks) at least every three months.
- Corrections: if an error is reported or found, we verify it against the official source, correct it, and note the correction date on the page.
Every guide shows a visible "Last updated" date, and our structured data carries the matching dateModified value.
Independence
NHS Bands Pay is independent. We are not affiliated with the NHS, NHS Employers, any NHS trust, or any trade union, and no external body pays for or influences our content. Where official guidance is ambiguous or differs between UK nations, we say so plainly rather than guessing.
Who writes our content
Content is researched and edited by our editorial team. Figures are checked by a second reviewer against the official pay circular before publication. Author information appears on every guide.