Do NHS Staff Get Paid More on Bank Holidays?
Last updated: 28 September 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.
The "double pay" myth
Ask NHS staff about bank holiday pay and you will hear "double pay" more than anything else. It is an understandable shorthand, but it is not quite right — and the gap between the myth and the rules causes real confusion on payslips.
The Agenda for Change handbook does not have a single "double pay" rule for bank holidays. Instead there are two separate mechanisms, and which one applies depends on what you did that day:
- Unsocial-hours enhancement (Section 2): applies to rostered hours worked on a public holiday. This is the time-plus-60% (bands 4–9), time-plus-74% (Band 3), time-plus-88% (Band 2) or double time (Band 1) payment.
- Overtime rate (Section 3): applies to hours worked above 37.5 a week. Overtime on a bank holiday is paid at double time for bands 1–7 — this is where the "double pay" figure actually comes from.
So a Band 5 nurse doing a rostered 12-hour Christmas Day shift gets time plus 60% (about £31.92 an hour at the top of the band in 2026/27) — not double time. The same nurse doing a bank shift on top of a full-time week on Christmas Day gets the overtime rate of double time (£39.90 an hour). The difference matters, which is why trusts report the two separately on payslips. Our NHS Christmas pay guide works through the festive example in detail.
Public-holiday enhancement rates by band
Under Section 2 of the Agenda for Change handbook, unsocial hours are defined as weekday nights (8pm–6am), all of Saturday, and Sundays plus public holidays. The enhancement for Sundays and public holidays is:
| Pay band | Sundays & public holidays | Saturdays & weekday nights |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | Double time | Time plus 50% |
| Band 2 | Time plus 88% | Time plus 44% |
| Band 3 | Time plus 74% | Time plus 37% |
| Bands 4–9 | Time plus 60% | Time plus 30% |
A few notes on this table. Some older pages on the internet show slightly different Band 2 and 3 figures (41% and 83%) — those are from earlier pay years; the figures above are the current handbook rates. The enhancement is calculated on your basic hourly rate, which includes London weighting (HCAS) — see NHS London weighting 2026/27. And the same Sunday/public-holiday column applies to a Sunday shift in the middle of July as it does to Christmas Day: there is no special Christmas rate, which is exactly why our Christmas pay guide simply applies these rates to the festive calendar.
What that looks like in money: a Band 5 mid-point nurse (£34,592, £17.67/hour) working a 7.5-hour public-holiday shift earns the enhancement on every hour:
| Shift | Hourly rate | 7.5-hour shift total |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary weekday (plain time) | £17.67 | £132.53 |
| Public holiday (time + 60%) | £28.27 | £212.04 |
| Bank-holiday overtime (double time) | £35.34 | £265.05 |
Source: NHS Employers unsocial hours factsheet.
Bank holiday overtime: double time
Overtime in the NHS means hours above 37.5 a week for full-time staff (36 in Scotland since the 2026 working-week change). The Section 3 rules:
- Bands 1–7: time-and-a-half for all overtime; double time for overtime on bank and public holidays.
- Bands 8–9: no contractual overtime pay at all — TOIL only, even on bank holidays.
- Part-time staff: hours above contracted hours up to 37.5 are paid at plain time (plus the public-holiday enhancement if worked on the holiday); overtime rates apply only above 37.5.
- No double counting: overtime and the unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours. You get the higher of the two — on a bank holiday, that is the double-time overtime rate for bands 1–7.
- Staff may elect TOIL instead of overtime pay.
Worked example: a Band 6 nurse at the top of the band (£24.58 an hour in 2026/27) doing an overtime bank shift on a public holiday earns £49.16 an hour. The same hours as a rostered (non-overtime) shift would attract time plus 60%, or £39.33 an hour. See NHS unsocial hours and overtime pay for more worked examples.
If you are not working the bank holiday
This is the other half of the confusion. If you are not rostered to work on a bank holiday, you receive your normal salary — no enhancement, no bonus, no extra payment. Bank holidays are already inside your annual leave entitlement: 27 days plus 8 bank holidays on appointment in England (rising to 29 and 33 days with service). You are being paid for the day through that entitlement.
Staff on 9-to-5 rotas who never work bank holidays are not missing out on hidden pay; the enhancement exists specifically to compensate those who give up the day off. Where a bank holiday coincides with annual leave you have booked, it does not normally consume a day of your leave allowance.
Substitute days when bank holidays fall on weekends
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday is observed on the next weekday as a substitute day — and the public-holiday enhancement follows the substitute day, not the weekend date. This happens regularly: in 2026, Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December) moves to Monday 28 December.
The practical effect: if you work Saturday 26 December 2026, that is an ordinary Saturday (time plus 30% for bands 4–9). If you work Monday 28 December, that is the public holiday (time plus 60%). Rosters and payroll both follow the substitute day, so it is worth checking which date your trust has designated — particularly if you work across the weekend.
Part-time staff and bank holidays
Part-time staff get bank holiday entitlement on a pro-rata basis. The awkward case is the part-timer whose non-working days coincide with bank holidays: if a bank holiday falls on a day you would not normally work, you have not "used" any of your entitlement, so most trusts credit the pro-rata hours to your leave balance. If it falls on a working day and you are rostered off, it comes out of your bank holiday entitlement as normal. If you work the bank holiday, you get the public-holiday enhancement for the hours worked, exactly like full-time staff.
The calculation can feel fiddly — especially for staff with irregular patterns — and local policies differ in the detail. If your credited hours do not look right, ask payroll for the workings before the pay run closes.
Time off in lieu for bank holidays
Alongside the enhancement, staff who work on a public holiday are generally entitled to an equivalent period of time off in lieu — a day in lieu for a full public-holiday shift is the common arrangement, though the exact mechanism is set locally. For bands 8 and 9, who have no contractual overtime pay, TOIL is the standard way extra bank-holiday hours are recognised.
TOIL must be agreed and taken within a reasonable period; if it cannot be taken, local policy usually provides for it to be paid. Because bank holiday TOIL accrues at the busiest times of year, book it early — managers are under no obligation to approve it at peak periods.
Bank and agency staff
Bank workers are paid for the hours they work, and the public-holiday enhancement is normally applied to bank shifts worked on a bank holiday — calculated on the agreed bank hourly rate. There is no separate statutory right to bank holiday pay for workers in the way there is for leave; the enhancement comes through the trust's bank terms, which mirror Agenda for Change. Agency staff are covered by their agency's terms, though parity regulations mean agency workers doing the same job should receive comparable enhancements after 12 weeks in the role. In all cases, check the specific contract: bank terms vary more than substantive contracts do.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The Section 2 enhancement rates apply to Agenda for Change staff in all four nations, but the bank holiday calendars differ. NHS Scotland observes 2 January and St Andrew's Day as additional public holidays, and Scotland's 36-hour week changes the overtime threshold. NHS Wales follows the England calendar for the main dates. In Northern Ireland there are additional public holidays (including St Patrick's Day), and the 2026/27 award was still awaiting implementation at the time of writing — check locally which rates are in payment.
Staff whose regular pattern includes unsocial hours should also read whether unsocial hours pay continues on annual leave, since holiday pay is calculated "as if at work" including averaged enhancements.
Frequently asked questions
Do NHS staff get paid more on bank holidays?
Yes, if you work. Hours worked on a public holiday attract unsocial-hours enhancements: bands 4 to 9 get time plus 60%, Band 3 time plus 74%, Band 2 time plus 88% and Band 1 double time. If you do not work, bank holidays are simply included in your leave entitlement — there is no extra pay.
Do NHS staff get double pay on bank holidays?
Not automatically. Only Band 1 staff get double time for bank holiday hours under the unsocial-hours rules. Bands 2 to 9 get time plus 88%, 74% or 60%. The double time that does exist is the overtime rate for bands 1 to 7 working overtime on a bank holiday.
Can you claim overtime and the bank holiday enhancement for the same hours?
No. Overtime and unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours — you receive whichever is higher. On a bank holiday that is usually the double-time overtime rate for bands 1 to 7.
Do part-time NHS staff get bank holiday pay?
Part-time staff receive bank holiday entitlement pro rata. If a bank holiday falls on a day you would not normally work, most trusts credit the hours to your leave balance. If you work the bank holiday, you get the public-holiday enhancement for the hours worked.
What is a substitute bank holiday day and how does it affect pay?
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the holiday moves to the next weekday as a substitute day. The public-holiday enhancement applies to the substitute day, not the weekend date itself — so a Saturday worked as an ordinary Saturday gets the Saturday rate.
Do NHS staff get time off in lieu for bank holidays?
Staff who work on a public holiday are generally entitled to an equivalent period of time off in lieu on top of the enhancement, subject to local policy. Bands 8 and 9, who have no contractual overtime pay, normally use TOIL as the mechanism for extra hours.
Is bank holiday pay pensionable?
Unsocial-hours enhancements for hours worked are part of pensionable pay, so bank holiday enhancements count towards your NHS pension. If you take TOIL instead of pay, no additional pensionable earnings arise from those hours.
Do bank staff get bank holiday enhancement?
Bank workers are generally paid the public-holiday enhancement for bank shifts worked on a bank holiday, applied to the agreed bank hourly rate. Terms vary between trusts and bank providers, so check your bank contract.
Sources and independence
Source: NHS Employers unsocial hours factsheet; NHS Employers 2026/27 pay award.
Source: Health Careers NHS — Agenda for Change pay rates.
NHS Bands Pay is an independent information website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the National Health Service or NHS Employers. Enhancement rates are set by the Agenda for Change handbook and bank holiday dates by the government; local trust and bank policies add detail, so confirm your position with payroll or ESR.