NHS Unsocial Hours & Overtime Pay Rates 2026/27

Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

Whether you are new to shift work or checking years of payslips, this guide sets out the exact rates, the rules that trip people up, and how to verify your pay. Use the NHS pay calculator to see how enhancements change your take-home pay.

What counts as unsocial hours in the NHS?

Unsocial hours are defined in Section 2 of the Agenda for Change explained handbook. They cover three periods:

• Weekday nights: 8pm to 6am, Monday to Friday
• Saturdays: all hours, midnight to midnight
• Sundays and public holidays: all hours, midnight to midnight

Enhancements are paid "when and as" the unsocial hours are worked. They apply to your basic hourly rate and are calculated on full-time equivalent pay, then pro-rated for part-time staff. Unsocial hours payments are pensionable and subject to tax and National Insurance in the normal way (NHS Employers unsocial hours factsheet, reviewed September 2025).

NHS unsocial hours rates 2026/27

The enhancement percentage depends on your pay band. A healthcare assistant on Band 2 pay earns a larger percentage enhancement than senior bands — compare Band 5 pay for the most common nursing band. These rates have applied consistently across recent pay years and are confirmed for 2026/27:

Note: a small number of third-party sites quote slightly different percentages for bands 2 and 3 (41% and 83%). The figures above follow NHS trust and NHS Employers guidance; if your payslip shows a different rate, check your trust's local policy against the Agenda for Change handbook.

Staff who regularly work unsocial hours — most commonly ambulance staff — may instead be covered by Annex 5, which pays an averaged annual enhancement rather than shift-by-shift payments. Since 1 September 2018, ambulance staff in England have been able to choose between Annex 5 and Section 2.

London-based staff should also note that NHS London weighting (HCAS) rates 2026/27 are calculated on basic pay, not on enhanced rates.

Worked examples: unsocial hours pay

All examples use 2026/27 England rates — see NHS Band 2 pay and hourly rate, NHS Band 3 salary 2026/27, NHS Band 5 pay, hourly rates and overtime, NHS Band 6 salary 2026/27 and the NHS Band 7 pay scale.

Example 1 — Band 5 nurse, top of band, 8-hour night shift. Basic hourly rate £19.95. Night enhancement for bands 4–9 is time + 30%:

8 × £19.95 × 1.30 = £207.48

The standard 8 hours would be worth £159.60; the unsocial enhancement adds £47.88.

Example 2 — Band 2 healthcare assistant, 7.5-hour Saturday shift. Basic hourly rate £12.91. Saturday enhancement for band 2 is time + 44%:

7.5 × £12.91 × 1.44 = £139.43

Example 3 — Band 5 nurse, top of band, 12-hour Sunday shift. Sunday enhancement for bands 4–9 is time + 60%:

12 × £19.95 × 1.60 = £383.04

NHS overtime rules (Agenda for Change Section 3)

Overtime is defined as hours worked above 37.5 hours in a week for full-time staff.

• Bands 1–7: all overtime is paid at time-and-a-half (1.5× the basic hourly rate). Overtime worked on a bank or public holiday is paid at double time (2×).
• Bands 8–9: there is no contractual overtime pay. Extra hours are compensated with time off in lieu (TOIL). Local agreements may vary, so senior staff should check their trust policy.
• Staff in bands 1–7 may elect to take TOIL instead of overtime pay if they prefer.
• Overtime payments are pensionable.

Part-time staff: additional hours vs overtime

This is where most payslip confusion arises. For part-time staff:

• Hours worked above contracted hours but below 37.5 hours are "additional hours", paid at the plain time rate (plus any unsocial hours enhancement if the hours fall in an unsocial period).
• The time-and-a-half overtime rate only applies to hours above 37.5 in the week.

Example — Band 3, top of band (£14.04/hour), contracted 22.5 hours, works 30 hours in a week. The extra 7.5 hours are paid at plain time:

7.5 × £14.04 = £105.30

No overtime premium applies, because total hours (30) are below 37.5. The full NHS pay bands 2026/27 table shows contracted rates for comparison.

Worked examples: overtime pay

Example 1 — Band 6, entry (£20.41/hour), 5 hours weekday overtime:

5 × £20.41 × 1.5 = £153.08

Example 2 — Band 4, top of band (£15.92/hour), 7.5 hours on a bank holiday at double time:

7.5 × £15.92 × 2 = £238.80

Stacking rules: you cannot claim both enhancements

Overtime pay and unsocial hours enhancement cannot be claimed for the same hours. Where both could theoretically apply — for example, overtime worked on a Sunday night — you receive the higher of the two rates, not both added together. In practice this means:

• Sunday overtime for bands 1–7: double-time overtime (2×) beats the Sunday unsocial enhancement, so double time applies.
• Weekday night overtime for bands 4–9: time-and-a-half overtime (1.5×) beats the +30% night enhancement, so 1.5× applies.

How to check your payslip

NHS payslips are issued through ESR (Electronic Staff Record). To verify your unsocial hours and overtime pay:

1. Find the breakdown lines. Look beyond "Basic Pay" for lines labelled "Unsocial Hours", "Overtime", "Additional Hours" or "Enhancement". Each should show hours and rate.
2. Check the rate against your band. Divide the payment by the hours and compare the multiplier with the tables above (e.g. 1.30 for a band 5 night shift, 1.44 for a band 2 Saturday).
3. Check your contracted hours. If you are part-time, confirm the system is using your contracted hours as the threshold — a common error is plain-time additional hours being missed, or the 1.5× rate applied below 37.5 hours.
4. Check bank holidays. Overtime on a bank holiday should be double time for bands 1–7. If you see 1.5×, query it.
5. Check which section you are on. Ambulance and some 24/7 shift-pattern staff should confirm whether they are paid under Section 2 or the Annex 5 averaged arrangement — the payslip looks different under each.
6. Keep your rota. If a payment looks wrong, compare the payslip hours against your rota or e-rostering record before contacting payroll; most queries are resolved faster with the rota to hand.

Common errors include enhancements applied at the wrong band after a promotion, part-time thresholds set to 37.5 incorrectly for the plain-time/overtime boundary, and missed Sunday premiums when a shift spans midnight. Unsocial hours and overtime are only one part of the AfC package — your NHS annual leave entitlement is unaffected by the hours you work.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as unsocial hours in the NHS?

Under Agenda for Change Section 2, unsocial hours are weekday nights from 8pm to 6am, all hours on Saturdays, and all hours on Sundays and public holidays. Enhancements are paid when the hours are actually worked.

How much extra do NHS staff get for night shifts in 2026/27?

It depends on band: band 1 gets time + 50%, band 2 time + 44%, band 3 time + 37%, and bands 4–9 time + 30% for weekday nights (8pm–6am) and Saturdays.

Do NHS staff get paid overtime?

Yes, if you are in bands 1–7. Overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time-and-a-half, or double time on bank holidays. Staff in bands 8–9 receive time off in lieu instead of overtime pay.

What is the NHS overtime rate on bank holidays?

For bands 1–7, overtime worked on a bank or public holiday is paid at double time (2× the basic hourly rate). Unsocial hours enhancements cannot be claimed on top for the same hours.

Do part-time NHS staff get overtime pay?

Part-time staff are paid at the plain time rate for additional hours between their contracted hours and 37.5 hours a week. The time-and-a-half overtime rate only applies above 37.5 hours.

Can you claim unsocial hours and overtime for the same shift?

No. Agenda for Change rules state that overtime payments and unsocial hours enhancements cannot be claimed for the same hours. You receive the higher of the two applicable rates.

Do Band 8 and Band 9 staff get overtime pay?

No contractual overtime pay exists for bands 8–9; extra hours are compensated with time off in lieu (TOIL), subject to local agreements.

What is Annex 5 unsocial hours pay?

Annex 5 is an alternative to Section 2 for staff who regularly work unsocial hours, mainly ambulance staff. Instead of shift-by-shift enhancements, they receive an averaged annual enhancement. Since September 2018, ambulance staff in England can choose between the two.

Sources: NHS Employers unsocial hours factsheet (reviewed September 2025); Agenda for Change handbook, NHS Staff Council; RCN guidance on unsocial hours and overtime.

This is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the NHS, NHS Employers or any trade union. Figures are verified against NHS Employers pay circulars and the Agenda for Change handbook (NHS Staff Council) as of 26 September 2026. Local trust policies and individual contracts can vary — always check your trust's policy and your ESR payslip, and raise discrepancies with payroll promptly.