NHS Scotland Overtime Rules 2026/27
Last updated: 12 November 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Scotland Agenda for Change Handbook Section 3, Circular PCS(AFC)2026/1 and Circular PCS(AFC)2026/2.
Scotland overtime rates by band 2026/27
The table below gives the overtime rate for every Agenda for Change band in Scotland, at every pay step, for 2026/27. The hourly rate is the annual salary divided by 52.143 weeks and 36 hours, the overtime rate is time and a half on that hourly rate, and the public holiday rate is double time. The rates apply from 1 April 2026 under Circular PCS(AFC)2026/1, and they are the same rates whether the extra hours fall on a weekday, a Saturday or a Sunday: the single harmonised rate does not change by day of the week, only by whether the day is a general public holiday.
| Band | Pay step | Annual salary | Hourly rate | Overtime (time and a half) | Public holiday overtime (double time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | Single point | £26,557 | £14.15 | £21.23 | £28.30 |
| Band 2 | Entry | £26,696 | £14.22 | £21.33 | £28.44 |
| Band 2 | Top of band | £28,988 | £15.44 | £23.16 | £30.88 |
| Band 3 | Entry | £29,103 | £15.50 | £23.25 | £31.00 |
| Band 3 | Top of band | £31,409 | £16.73 | £25.10 | £33.46 |
| Band 4 | Entry | £31,537 | £16.80 | £25.20 | £33.60 |
| Band 4 | Top of band | £34,303 | £18.27 | £27.41 | £36.54 |
| Band 5 | Entry | £34,544 | £18.40 | £27.60 | £36.80 |
| Band 5 | Intermediate | £36,911 | £19.66 | £29.49 | £39.32 |
| Band 5 | Top of band | £43,039 | £22.93 | £34.40 | £45.86 |
| Band 6 | Entry | £43,231 | £23.03 | £34.55 | £46.06 |
| Band 6 | Intermediate | £45,135 | £24.04 | £36.06 | £48.08 |
| Band 6 | Top of band | £52,679 | £28.06 | £42.09 | £56.12 |
| Band 7 | Entry | £52,845 | £28.15 | £42.23 | £56.30 |
| Band 7 | Intermediate | £54,863 | £29.23 | £43.85 | £58.46 |
| Band 7 | Top of band | £61,466 | £32.74 | £49.11 | £65.48 |
| Band 8a | Entry | £65,125 | £34.69 | £52.04 | £69.38 |
| Band 8a | Top of band | £70,303 | £37.45 | £56.18 | £74.90 |
| Band 8b | Entry | £76,888 | £40.96 | £61.44 | £81.92 |
| Band 8b | Top of band | £82,251 | £43.82 | £65.73 | £87.64 |
| Band 8c | Entry | £90,808 | £48.38 | £72.57 | £96.76 |
| Band 8c | Top of band | £97,338 | £51.85 | £77.78 | £103.70 |
| Band 8d | Entry | £107,810 | £57.43 | £86.15 | £114.86 |
| Band 8d | Top of band | £112,426 | £59.89 | £89.84 | £119.78 |
| Band 9 | Entry | £127,521 | £67.93 | £101.90 | £135.86 |
| Band 9 | Top of band | £133,044 | £70.88 | £106.32 | £141.76 |
Two things stand out in the table. First, the range is wide: a Band 1 worker on the single point of £26,557 earns £21.23 an hour for overtime, while a Band 9 worker at the top of the band earns £106.32. Second, Scotland pays overtime at Bands 8 and 9, where England does not. A Band 8d worker at entry earns £86.15 an hour for overtime in Scotland, and a Band 9 worker at entry earns £101.90. In England, the same extra hours at those bands are taken as time off in lieu, with no cash at all. For the band-by-band Scottish salaries behind these rates, see the Scotland pay guide, and for the England rates, see the unsocial hours and overtime guide.
The 36-hour week and the overtime threshold
From 1 April 2026 the standard full-time week for Agenda for Change staff in NHS Scotland is 36 hours, down from 37 hours, with no loss of pay. A standard working day is now 7.2 hours. The change came in two steps: the week fell from 37.5 hours to 37 hours on 1 April 2024, then to 36 hours on 1 April 2026. The reduction applies to Agenda for Change staff only; it does not cover medical and dental staff or the Executive and Senior Manager cohorts.
The shorter week lifted hourly rates by 2.78% at the last step, because the same annual salary is now spread over fewer hours. A Band 5 nurse at entry, on £34,544 a year, earns £18.40 an hour on the 36-hour week, against £17.67 an hour if the same salary were still spread over a 37.5-hour week, a difference of £0.73 an hour before any overtime is worked. That is also why a Scottish hourly rate is higher than the England rate for a comparable salary: England still works a 37.5-hour week, so a Band 5 nurse at entry in England earns £16.38 an hour on a lower salary of £32,073, a gap of £2.02 an hour against the Scottish entry rate.
The threshold matters as much as the rate. A full-time member of staff in Scotland earns overtime from the 37th hour of the week, while in England the line is 37.5 hours. Circular PCS(AFC)2026/2 amended the Scottish Handbook to the 36-hour basis, including paragraph 3.3 on overtime for part-timers and paragraph 10.1 on standard hours. One trap is worth knowing: the October 2024 Handbook text still prints 37 hours in paragraph 3.3, so a payroll document or rota that quotes 37 hours is out of date, and the 36-hour amendment governs. If a payslip shows overtime starting above 37 hours, check it against the amended rule.
Who qualifies for overtime in Scotland
All staff in pay bands 1 to 9 are eligible for overtime payments in Scotland. That is the whole Agenda for Change scale, from a Band 1 porter to a Band 9 chief nurse or executive director. There is a single harmonised rate of time and a half for all overtime, with the exception of work on general public holidays, which is paid at double time. The rate does not vary by band, by role or by length of service: the only thing that changes the cash is the hourly rate of the band and step the worker sits on.
England draws the line differently. There, overtime is paid to Bands 1 to 7 only, and Bands 8 and 9 receive time off in lieu instead of paid overtime. That makes Scotland the better deal for senior staff by a wide margin. A Band 9 worker at entry who works four extra hours in Scotland earns £407.60 at the £101.90 overtime rate, and £543.44 if those four hours fall on a general public holiday, at the £135.86 double-time rate. In England, the same four hours earn no cash at all, only four hours of time off in lieu. A Band 8d worker at entry who works four extra hours in Scotland earns £344.60 at the £86.15 rate, and again the England equivalent is time off in lieu only. Even at the top of Band 9, four hours of overtime in Scotland pays £425.28 at the £106.32 rate. For the senior bands in full, see the Scotland Band 9 pay guide and the Scotland Band 8d pay guide, and for the England position, see Band 9 pay.
Overtime is based on the hourly rate provided by basic pay plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium. Long-term premia are pensionable; short-term premia are not, and they need six months' notice of withdrawal. There are no published national cash values for recruitment and retention premia for specific roles, so the premium element is agreed locally and added to basic pay before the hourly rate is worked out. Where no premium applies, the overtime rate is worked out on basic pay alone.
Worked examples: what overtime is worth
The examples below use the rounded hourly rates from the table above, which is how payroll works them out. The clearest way to see the Scottish difference is a 44-hour week, eight hours over the Scottish threshold and six and a half hours over the England threshold. The table compares what those extra hours pay in each country, at time and a half, for the same bands.
| Band and step | Scotland overtime rate | Scotland: 8 hours overtime | England overtime rate | England: 6.5 hours overtime | Scotland ahead by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 entry | £21.33 | £170.64 | £19.37 | £125.91 | £44.73 |
| Band 2 top of band | £23.16 | £185.28 | £19.37 | £125.91 | £59.37 |
| Band 5 entry | £27.60 | £220.80 | £24.57 | £159.71 | £61.09 |
| Band 5 intermediate | £29.49 | £235.92 | £26.51 | £172.32 | £63.60 |
| Band 5 top of band | £34.40 | £275.20 | £29.93 | £194.55 | £80.65 |
| Band 7 entry | £42.23 | £337.84 | £37.85 | £246.03 | £91.81 |
| Band 7 intermediate | £43.85 | £350.80 | £39.80 | £258.70 | £92.10 |
| Band 7 top of band | £49.11 | £392.88 | £43.31 | £281.52 | £111.36 |
A Band 5 nurse at entry who works a 44-hour week earns £220.80 of overtime in Scotland, against £159.71 in England, a difference of £61.09 for the same week. At the top of Band 5 the gap is £80.65 a week, £275.20 against £194.55. At the top of Band 7 the gap is £111.36 a week, £392.88 against £281.52. The gap comes from two things at once: Scotland pays more hours at the overtime rate, because the threshold is lower, and it pays a higher rate for each of those hours, because the salary is higher and the week is shorter. The same pattern holds on public holidays. Eight hours on a general public holiday at the top of Band 7 pays £523.84 in Scotland at the £65.48 double-time rate, against £461.92 in England at the £57.74 rate, a difference of £61.92 for the one shift.
Smaller blocks of overtime add up quickly. Four hours of overtime at Band 5 entry pays £110.40 at the £27.60 rate. Six hours at the top of Band 2 pays £138.96 at the £23.16 rate. Twelve hours on a general public holiday at the top of Band 6 pays £673.44 at the £56.12 double-time rate. Four extra hours every week for four weeks at Band 6 entry pays £552.80 at the £34.55 rate. To work out your own overtime from any salary and band, use the overtime calculator, and to check the hourly rate behind it, use the hourly rate calculator.
Part-time staff and overtime
Part-time staff are paid plain time for additional hours until their total weekly hours pass 36, and only the hours beyond 36 attract time and a half, or double time on a general public holiday. Additional hours up to 36 also attract any unsocial-hours enhancement that applies, so a part-time worker who picks up a Saturday shift is paid the Saturday enhancement on those hours, not the overtime rate. The rule changed with the 36-hour week: contracted hours reduce pro rata, with current hours divided by 37 and multiplied by 36, or the member of staff can agree to keep their hours and take the higher hourly rate instead.
Take a Band 6 worker at entry, on £43,231 a year and £23.03 an hour, contracted at 0.6 whole-time equivalent, which is 21.6 hours a week and £25,938.60 a year. If that worker picks up extra shifts and works 30 hours in a week, the 8.4 additional hours are paid at plain time, which is £193.45. If the same worker works 40 hours in a week, the first 14.4 additional hours, up to 36, are paid at plain time, which is £331.63, and the 4 hours above 36 are paid at time and a half, which is £138.20 at the £34.55 overtime rate, giving £469.83 of extra pay for the week. The common payroll error is to apply the 1.5 times rate below 36 hours, or to miss plain-time additional hours entirely, so check the payslip line by line against the rota. For the full part-time picture, including pension tiers on actual pay, see the part-time pay guide.
One point catches part-time staff out on pension. Additional hours up to whole-time equivalent are pensionable, but only at the standard rate: the overtime enhancement itself is not pensionable, and overtime worked above full-time hours is not pensionable at all. That is the NHSBSA position on pensionable pay, and it applies in Scotland as it does in England and Wales. The pension contribution tier is set by actual annual pensionable pay, never by the whole-time equivalent salary, so a part-time worker's tier follows the pay actually received. For the Scottish pension tiers, see the pension contributions by band guide.
Time off in lieu instead of pay
Staff may request time off in lieu as an alternative to overtime payment, and TOIL is taken at plain time rates. Four hours of overtime taken as TOIL gives four hours off, not six: the time-and-a-half multiplier does not carry into the time off. The single overtime rate applies whenever excess hours are worked over full-time hours, unless time off in lieu is taken, provided the line manager or team leader has agreed the work outside standard hours. That agreement is a condition of the payment, not a formality, so agree the extra hours before working them and keep a record of the hours and the agreement.
TOIL is usually the better choice when the extra hours are few and the diary has room for them, because the time off is worth more than the cash to someone who is already working long weeks. It is the worse choice when the time off cannot be taken, because unused TOIL does not turn back into pay on its own. In England, TOIL is not a choice at Bands 8 and 9: it is the only compensation for extra hours, which is why the Scottish position is worth so much more to senior staff. For the England rules in full, see the unsocial hours and overtime guide.
Overtime and unsocial hours: how they fit together
Overtime and unsocial hours are two different payments, and they apply to different hours. Unsocial hours enhancements apply to rostered hours worked at nights, on Saturdays, on Sundays and on public holidays, under the Scottish Handbook Section 2. For Bands 4 to 9 the enhancement is time plus 30% for Saturday and weekday night work, and time plus 60% for Sunday and public holiday work. Band 1 is time plus 50% for Saturday and nights and double time for Sunday and public holidays, Band 2 is time plus 44% and time plus 88%, and Band 3 is time plus 37% and time plus 74%. Scotland did not adopt England's reduced 2018 rates for Bands 1 to 3, so the Scottish enhancements are higher at the lower bands.
The two payments meet at the 36-hour line. Additional hours up to 36 attract plain time plus any unsocial enhancement that applies, and hours above 36 attract the overtime rate. A part-time worker who picks up a Saturday shift is paid the Saturday enhancement on those hours, and a full-time worker who stays late on a Saturday is paid the overtime rate for the hours above 36. Where more than half of a shift falls between 8pm and 6am, the whole shift is paid at the night rate. One rate applies per hour, so a Saturday night shift is paid at the Saturday rate, not both rates at once. For the full unsocial rates tables, see the unsocial hours and overtime guide.
Scotland versus England: the overtime rules side by side
The rates are the same in both countries: time and a half, and double time on public holidays. Everything else differs. Scotland starts paying overtime above 36 hours a week, England above 37.5. Scotland pays overtime to every band from 1 to 9, while England stops at Band 7 and gives Bands 8 and 9 time off in lieu instead. Scotland's week is 36 hours and England's is 37.5, so the Scottish hourly rate is higher for a comparable salary, and the Scottish overtime rate is higher too. Part-time staff in both countries are paid plain time for additional hours up to the full-time threshold, and only the hours beyond it attract the overtime rate.
Wales follows the England pattern: the 37.5-hour week, overtime for Bands 1 to 7 at time and a half and double time on public holidays, and part-timers paid plain time to 37.5 hours. The Welsh scale differs slightly, with Band 5 running £32,557, £35,114 and £39,631, but the overtime mechanics are the same. Northern Ireland is the outlier: the 3.3% award for 2026/27 was recommended but not implemented, so HSC staff remain on the 2025/26 scale, and the figures on this page do not apply there until the award is confirmed and paid. For the Welsh picture, see the Wales pay guide, for Northern Ireland, see Northern Ireland pay, and for all four nations together, see NHS pay scales by country.
The other difference is the award behind the rates. Scotland agreed its own two-year deal: 4.4% in 2025/26, including an inflation-guarantee uplift, then 3.75% from 1 April 2026, with the same CPI plus 1% guarantee to be checked in early 2027. England and Wales took 3.3% from 1 April 2026. The Scottish award was paid on time in April salaries, so there was no backpay to complicate 2026/27 payslips. For the wider Scottish picture, including every band and the latest award status, see the Scotland pay guide, and for the 2027/28 outlook, see NHS Scotland pay rise 2027.
Checking overtime on your payslip
Overtime should appear as its own clearly labelled line on the payslip, separate from basic pay. To verify it, work backwards from the payment: divide the overtime payment by the hours and compare the multiplier with the rates on this page, 1.5 for weekday overtime and 2 for overtime on a general public holiday. If the effective multiplier does not match either of them, something is wrong. Check the threshold first: overtime should start above 36 hours in the week, not above 37, and not above 37.5. Then check the band and step: enhancements and overtime calculated at the old band's rate for a month or two after a promotion are a common error. Then check public holidays: overtime on a general public holiday paid at 1.5 times instead of double time is another. And check part-time hours: additional hours below 36 paid at 1.5 times, or missed entirely, are the biggest source of error.
If a line looks wrong, compare the payslip hours against the rota or e-rostering record before contacting payroll; most queries are resolved faster with the rota to hand. Keep in mind that overtime worked during a late pay award may later attract back pay, because enhancements and overtime earned in the arrears period are recalculated at the higher basic rate once the award lands. Scotland's 2026/27 award was paid on time, so no backpay is due for this year, but the check still applies to any earlier period. For back pay in full, see the back pay and arrears guide.
Pay progression
Overtime in NHS Scotland is paid at time and a half above 36 hours a week, and at double time on general public holidays, for every band from 1 to 9. For the full Scottish scale and the latest award status, see the Scotland pay guide. For the England overtime rules and how the nations differ, see unsocial hours and overtime. To work out your own overtime from any salary and band, use the overtime calculator, and to check the hourly rate behind it, use the hourly rate calculator. For take-home pay on the Scottish scale, see the Scotland Band 5 pay guide, and for the pension tiers behind the deductions, see pension contributions by band.
Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rate in NHS Scotland?
In 2026/27, overtime in NHS Scotland is paid at time and a half for hours worked above 36 in a week, and at double time for work on general public holidays. The rate is based on the hourly rate from basic pay plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium.
How many hours is full time in NHS Scotland?
From 1 April 2026 the standard full-time week for Agenda for Change staff in NHS Scotland is 36 hours, down from 37 hours, with no loss of pay. A standard working day is 7.2 hours, and the overtime threshold for a full-time member of staff is hours beyond 36 in the week.
Do Band 8 and Band 9 staff get overtime pay in Scotland?
Yes. In Scotland, every band from 1 to 9 qualifies for paid overtime, so Band 8 and Band 9 staff are paid time and a half above 36 hours a week and double time on general public holidays. In England, Bands 8 and above get time off in lieu instead of paid overtime.
How is part-time overtime paid in NHS Scotland?
Part-time staff are paid plain time for additional hours until their total weekly hours pass 36, and only hours beyond 36 attract time and a half, or double time on a general public holiday. Additional hours up to 36 also attract any unsocial-hours enhancement that applies.
Is NHS overtime pensionable in Scotland?
Overtime worked above full-time hours is not pensionable pay. For part-time staff, additional hours up to whole-time equivalent are pensionable, but only at the standard rate: the overtime enhancement itself is not pensionable. Overtime pay is still taxable and subject to National Insurance like any other pay.
What is time off in lieu (TOIL) in NHS Scotland?
Time off in lieu is time off taken instead of overtime pay, at plain time rates. Four hours of overtime taken as TOIL gives four hours off, not six. Staff may request TOIL as an alternative to payment, and it is taken by agreement with the line manager.
Do I need my manager's agreement to claim overtime?
Yes. The overtime rate applies whenever excess hours are worked over full-time hours, provided the line manager or team leader has agreed the work outside standard hours. Unagreed extra hours are not automatically overtime, so agree the work first and keep a record of the hours.
How does Scotland overtime compare with England?
The rates are the same: time and a half, and double time on public holidays. The differences are the threshold and who qualifies. Scotland starts paying overtime above 36 hours a week, England above 37.5, and Scotland pays overtime to every band from 1 to 9, while England stops at Band 7 and gives Bands 8 and 9 time off in lieu instead.
Sources and independence
Source: NHS Scotland, Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Scotland version (October 2024), Section 3, paragraphs 3.1 to 3.5 (overtime rates, eligibility, part-time rule, TOIL).
Source: NHS Scotland, NHS Circular PCS(AFC)2026/1, Agenda for Change pay rates from 1 April 2026 (2026/27 Scotland pay scale; 36-hour week).
Source: NHS Education for Scotland, Reduced working week (36-hour week from 1 April 2026; Circular PCS(AFC)2026/2 amendments).
Source: NHS Employers, Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27 (England scale and hourly rates, for comparison).
Source: NHS Employers, Unsocial hours payments (Agenda for Change Section 2 framework rates).
NHS Bands Pay is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the NHS, NHS Scotland or the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. Figures were verified against the official sources above on 12 November 2026 and can change, always confirm with the relevant official body before making financial decisions.