NHS pay deal agreed - Agenda for Change staff accept two-year pay offer

17th May 2025

Nurses, midwives and other healthcare staff across Scotland have voted to accept an 8% pay increase, over two years, that will ensure they continue to be the best paid in the UK.

The deal, which benefits almost 170,000 NHS Agenda for Change staff - including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – guarantees the pay increase will be one percentage point above inflation over same period.

It will see pay rises of 4.25% in 2025-26 and 3.75% in 2026-27 and involves an investment of more than £700 million over a two-year period.

The pay rise will be backdated to 1 April 2025.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

"I welcome the fact that union members have accepted this pay offer. Delivering a renewed and stronger NHS is a key commitment for us and at the heart of that are our hard-working healthcare staff.

“We want to ensure they feel value and rewarded and I'm very pleased that they have agreed to accept a strong two-year pay deal. Staff will see the benefit of this pay uplift in their pay packets from next month.

“The deal, which is both fair and affordable, is guaranteed to remain above CPI inflation and will ensure Scotland’s nurses, midwives and NHS staff have the best reward package in the UK."

A total of £701 million has been committed for Agenda for Change pay in 2025-26 and 2026-27. This equates to an uplift of 8% for all staff, 4.25% in 2025-26 and 3.75% in 2026-27.