The pay offer for all NHS Scotland staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions was made on 8 April 2025. It follows a period of negotiation between the RCN, other health trade unions, the Scottish government and NHS employers. The offer is for 2025-26 and 2026-27

The offer proposes:

• An increase of 4.25% from 1 April 2025
• An increase of 3.75% from 1 April 2026.
• An inflation guarantee to ensure the increase in pay each year is a minimum of one percentage point higher than the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate for the year.

Read the NHS pay offer in full to find out what it means for you. Read our comment on the offer and on our consultation.

The offer is for all staff working for NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.

We have made no recommendation to members to accept or reject the offer. The detail of the offer was considered by the RCN Scotland Board, your elected representatives in Scotland. The Board was briefed by our negotiators on the detail of the offer and the financial context in which it was made. After careful consideration, the Board came to the conclusion that individual members should decide whether or not this pay offer meets your expectations and accept or reject accordingly. 

If the majority of members vote to accept the offer, we would confirm our position to the Scottish government. We would seek implementation of the offer as soon as possible and it would be back dated to 1 April 2025.

If the majority of RCN members vote who vote in the consultation indicate that the offer should be rejected, RCN Scotland will inform Scottish government of the outcome of our ballot and your elected members on RCN Scotland Board, RCN Trade Union Committee and RCN Council will consider the next steps. If rejected there is no guarantee that the current offer will be available in the future. In no improved offer is received from Scottish government all options would be considered including asking members to vote and participate in industrial action.

If the majority of members vote to accept the offer, we would confirm our position to the Scottish government. We would seek implementation of the offer as soon as possible and it would be back dated to 1 April 2025.

The online runs from noon on Wednesday 23 April to noon on Wednesday 14 May. 

Only RCN members working in the NHS in Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions are eligible to take part.

The Scottish government has announced a pay offer for NHS Scotland staff employed on Agenda for Change terms and conditions. The offer is a 4.25% from 1 April 2025 and a 3.75% from 1 April 2026.  The offer also includes an inflation guarantee. This will ensure the increase in pay each year is a minimum of one percentage point higher than the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate for 2025-26 and 2026 -27. As your union we campaign for Fair Pay for Nursing and RCN members will always have the opportunity to vote on your pay. Check we have the correct details for you, so you can have your say at MyRCN.

The consultation runs from noon on Wednesday 23 April to noon on Wednesday 14 May. The consultation is taking place online.

Members eligible to take part will be sent an email from the RCN containing a link to the voting website where you will be able to view information to help you make your choice. Then have your say in just a few steps on our website. You’ll be able to review the award and choose to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ it.

You can only take part in the ballot if the RCN can confirm that you work in Scotland and your workplace and employer mean you are employed in the NHS on an Agenda for Change contract. Please ensure your RCN membership details, including employer and place of work, are up to date and encourage colleagues to do the same. You can do this at MyRCN. 

Please log in to MyRCN to cast your vote. During periods of high traffic, it can be more difficult to log into the website. If you have issues accessing our website, please wait a few minutes and try again.

If you’re still having trouble, complete our form or call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100. Please include your membership number in your email and have it ready to read out if you call.   

You can find out more about RCN membership and how to get in touch on our membership FAQs. 

 

No, this is not a vote on industrial action. 

This is a consultation on the NHS Scotland pay offer from Scottish government for 2025-26 and 2026-27. You can vote to accept or reject this offer. Once members have had their say, your elected representatives will consider next steps.

If you vote more than once during the consultation, only your final vote will be counted. Your vote is secured with your member details, and can only be cast when logged in. Every eligible member will have one vote in the final count. 

The RCN and other health trade unions will meet under the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee to confirm the results of their consultations with their members and confirm the outcomes to the Scottish government.  If the offer is accepted  by the majority, the timeline for implementation will be confirmed at this point. It is expected that the pay increase will be applied as soon as possible and backdated to 1 April 2025.

This offer applies to staff employed by NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions - this includes those working on staff bank contracts. If accepted, all staff working for NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions would receive the increase.

Yes, if the offer is accepted you will be entitled to back pay up to the time you left employment. You should speak to your payroll department once the outcome of the consultation has been confirmed. If you have retired this may impact your pension and a mechanism will be put in place to inform SPPA.

RCN student members who are directly employed on NHS Agenda for Change terms and conditions by an NHS Scotland organisation, for example, if you are employed as a healthcare support worker, are eligible to take part in this consultation. Please ensure your employment details are correct on MyRCN. 

Provided you are an RCN member and employed by NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions, you are eligible to take part in this consultation.

 

Your pay is determined by your employer and not by the Scottish government. The Scottish government’s pay offer relates to staff working for NHS Scotland on Agenda for Change terms and conditions. However, many independent health and social care employers use NHS pay as a benchmark in setting pay. Increases in NHS pay often lead to increases in pay in other parts of the health and care sector. 

The Scottish government must invest in nursing, not just in the NHS, but all services and settings where nursing care is delivered. The RCN has always called for pay parity between the NHS and every other health and social care setting. We continue to support members employed in independent health and social care settings to seek appropriate recognition in their pay and working conditions in respect of the complex, expert care they deliver.

To ensure you receive information and updates that matter to you, it’s important we know where you work. Visit MyRCN to make sure your details are correct.  

The NHS Pay Review Body has yet to make an announcement on NHS pay for 2025-26. 

You are the RCN and if you want to be a part of nursing activism and lead on the issues that matter most to you, you can find out more about activism and organising, our forums and networks and how to become an RCN rep.

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