If you want to learn more about which NHS bank holidays you’re entitled to, keep reading! It’s important to stay informed so you can plan your time off accordingly.
Are you curious about your NHS bank holiday entitlement for 2026 and 2027, and how many bank holidays you can enjoy each year? Whether you’re planning a trip away with the extra day off or working through the bank holidays, you can find all the answers to your questions right here.
What are the bank holidays for 2026?
Here is a list of all the bank holidays for 2026:
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| 31 August 2026 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
What are the bank holidays for 2027?
Here is a list of all the confirmed bank holidays for 2027:
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 26 March 2027 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 3 May 2027 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| 31 May 2027 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| 30 August 2027 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday |
| 27 December 2027 | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| 28 December 2027 | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Dates apply to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have some additional or different bank holidays, so always double-check your local calendar if you’re based outside England or Wales.
Do NHS staff get double pay on bank holidays?
No, most NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts don’t get a flat “double pay” rate for bank holidays, though the combination of enhancement and time off can add up to more than working a normal shift. Under Section 2 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, staff working a bank holiday shift receive an unsocial hours enhancement of 60% on top of basic pay for Bands 4-9, rising to 69% for Band 3 and 83% for Band 2.
On top of that enhancement, Section 13.4 of the handbook states that anyone required to work or be on-call on a general public holiday is also entitled to equivalent time off in lieu at plain time rates, in addition to the payment for the duties carried out. So while it isn’t a doubled hourly rate, staff working a bank holiday are compensated through enhanced pay plus a lieu day, rather than losing out for working while most people have the day off.
Are NHS bank staff paid for holidays?
Yes, NHS bank staff are entitled to paid holiday, and it starts accruing from their very first shift. Because bank staff don’t have a fixed contract, their holiday pay isn’t a fixed number of days each year, like it is for permanent Agenda for Change staff. Instead, under the Working Time Regulations 1998, bank staff accrue holiday at a rate of 12.07% of the hours they actually work, usually paid as rolled-up holiday pay alongside their wages.
How many bank holidays do NHS staff get?
Full-time NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts get 8 public holidays a year in England, on top of their annual leave entitlement of 27, 29, or 33 days, depending on length of service. This bank holiday allowance is separate from annual leave and is pro-rated for part-time staff based on contracted hours.
It isn’t uncommon for staff to be rostered to work on a bank holiday because of service needs and patient care. When that happens, staff don’t lose the entitlement; they simply take the equivalent time off in lieu at another point, so the 8-day allowance is preserved even if the actual dates you’re off shift around.
How can NHS staff make the most of bank holidays in 2026 and 2027?
Because most bank holidays fall on a Monday, they naturally create long weekends when paired with your existing rota. If you’re planning ahead, it’s worth noting that Easter falls unusually early in 2027 (26-29 March), and Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday, meaning the substitute bank holidays move to 27 and 28 December. Booking annual leave around these dates early, before rotas are finalised, tends to give you the best chance of securing the days you want.
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