NHS Paternity Pay 2026/27: Leave, Rates & Eligibility

Last updated: 28 September 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

The two tiers: occupational vs statutory

NHS paternity provision has two layers. The statutory layer applies to all eligible employees; the occupational layer — the NHS enhancement — tops it up to full pay. Which layer you get depends on your length of service.

The Agenda for Change handbook (Section 15, "Leave and pay for new parents") calls this new parent support leave. It builds on statutory paternity leave and applies to the father of the child (including adoptive fathers), the mother's spouse or partner (whether opposite or same sex), or a nominated carer. Trusts may locally agree more favourable arrangements, so always check your trust's family-leave policy alongside the national terms.

Source: AfC handbook Section 15 (NHS Scotland publication); statutory rates via GOV.UK paternity pay.

Who qualifies for full-pay NHS paternity leave?

• 12 months' continuous service with your trust or any other NHS employer before you take the leave. Employers have discretion to count other previous service, but the national minimum is 12 months' NHS service.
• Relationship to the child: father (including adoptive fathers), mother's husband/partner (any sex), partner of an adopter, or a nominated carer.
• Full pay is calculated on average-weekly-earnings rules (the same basis as occupational maternity/adoption pay) and you receive full pay less any statutory paternity pay receivable — the trust effectively tops the £194.32 statutory rate up to your normal wage.
• Only one period of new parent support pay is ordinarily available for a multiple birth.

If you don't meet the 12-month test, you still get the statutory two weeks at £194.32 a week (or 90% of earnings if lower), provided you meet the 26-week service test and the £129-a-week earnings threshold. In practice, almost all full-time NHS staff clear the earnings test — even Band 2 at £25,272 a year averages about £484 a week.

Worked example: Band 5 paternity pay

Take a Band 5 nurse on the 2026/27 entry salary of £32,073. Weekly pay is £32,073 ÷ 52.2 = £614.36.

The occupational enhancement is worth £840.08 over the fortnight for this nurse — more than double the statutory payment. The gap widens at higher bands: a Band 7 on £49,387 (£946.11 a week) would receive £1,892.22 occupationally versus £388.64 statutory. Tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan deductions apply to paternity pay exactly as they do to normal wages.

Notice and how to claim

For statutory paternity leave and pay, you must tell your employer by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due:

• the baby's due date (or placement date for adoption),
• whether you want one week or two, and
• when you want your leave to start.

Your trust will have its own form (often called a request for special/family leave) and may ask for a copy of the mother's MATB1 certificate. Give notice in writing, keep a copy, and confirm the agreed dates with your manager — payroll needs the dates to process the occupational top-up correctly. If your circumstances change (for example, the baby arrives early), tell your manager as soon as you reasonably can.

Antenatal appointments and taking leave in blocks

• Antenatal appointments: partners have a statutory right to unpaid time off for up to two antenatal appointments. The mother herself has paid time off for all antenatal care — see NHS maternity pay.
• Blocks: since 2024, the two weeks no longer have to be taken together — they can be taken as two separate one-week blocks at different times.
• Deadline: paternity leave must be taken within 52 weeks of the birth (or of the child's placement in adoption cases).
• Shared parental leave interplay: from April 2026, paternity leave can be taken before or after shared parental leave — the old restriction on taking paternity leave after SPL has been removed. See NHS adoption pay & shared parental leave.

Effect on pay progression, pension and annual leave

• Pay progression: paternity leave counts as continuous service. Your pay-step date does not move and appraisal-linked progression is unaffected — see how Agenda for Change progression works.
• Pension: employee and employer NHS pension contributions continue on the paternity pay you actually receive. Because occupational paternity pay is full pay, there is no gap in pensionable service at all for qualifying staff.
• Annual leave: continues to accrue during paternity leave, including bank-holiday entitlement. If a bank holiday falls during your leave, speak to your manager about reclaiming it.

Paternity leave vs unpaid parental leave

Don't confuse the two. Paternity (new parent support) leave is two paid weeks around the birth. Unpaid parental leave is a separate statutory right: up to 18 weeks per child, available until the child's 18th birthday, limited to 4 weeks per child per leave year, taken in whole-week blocks (unless your employer agrees otherwise or the child is disabled). You need one year's service with your employer to qualify. It is unpaid — it is time, not money — and is typically used for school transitions, settling-in periods or emergencies that outlast carer's leave.

Keeping in touch during paternity leave

Unlike maternity and adoption leave — which carry a statutory right to 10 keeping-in-touch (KIT) days — ordinary paternity leave has no equivalent statutory KIT provision. In practice, reasonable contact by mutual agreement is normal: a handover call before you go, the occasional check-in, and a return-to-work catch-up. Some NHS trusts' occupational paternity schemes mirror the KIT arrangement and allow paid keep-in-touch days — check your trust's policy rather than assuming. Whatever you agree, put it in writing with your manager before the leave starts: which days, what you'll be doing, and how they'll be paid. And remember that paternity leave is short — two weeks — so most new parents treat it as fully offline, which is entirely your right.

Frequently asked questions

How much paternity pay do NHS staff get in 2026/27?

With 12 months' continuous NHS service you get two weeks at full pay (occupational paternity pay). Without that service you get statutory paternity pay: £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to two weeks.

How long is NHS paternity leave?

Two weeks. Since 2024 the two weeks can be taken as one block or as two separate one-week blocks, within 52 weeks of the birth (or placement for adoption).

Who qualifies for full-pay NHS paternity leave?

The father, the mother's spouse or partner (any sex), or a nominated carer with 12 months' continuous service with any NHS employer before taking the leave. You receive full pay less any statutory paternity pay.

What notice do I need to give for NHS paternity leave?

Tell your employer by the 15th week before the baby is due: the due date, whether you want one or two weeks, and when you want the leave to start. Check your trust's policy for its own form and deadlines.

Does paternity leave affect my NHS pay progression or pension?

No. Paternity leave counts as continuous service, so pay-step progression is unaffected, pension contributions continue on the pay you receive, and annual leave continues to accrue.

Can NHS partners take time off for antenatal appointments?

Yes. Partners have the statutory right to unpaid time off for up to two antenatal appointments.

What is the difference between paternity leave and unpaid parental leave?

Paternity leave is two paid weeks around the birth. Unpaid parental leave is a separate statutory right: up to 18 weeks per child before their 18th birthday, limited to four weeks per child per leave year.

Sources and independence

Source: Agenda for Change handbook, Section 15: Leave and pay for new parents.

Source: GOV.UK — Paternity pay and leave: pay (statutory rates from 5 April 2026).

Source: The Payroll Centre — 2026/27 paternity and shared parental leave changes.

This is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the NHS. Figures are for England under Agenda for Change; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland apply the same handbook provisions via their own circulars. Always check your trust's family-leave policy and your ESR record for your actual entitlement.