All NHS staff are entitled to Annual Leave. The amount depends on a number of factors including what contract you have, the number of years you have worked for the NHS, and the number of hours that you work per week.
The basic entitlement to annual leave for a full time member of staff is 27 days per year. This rises to 29 days for staff with between 5-10 years of service, and to 33 days for staff with more than 10 years of service.
Staff are also entitled to additional leave for bank / public holidays, in addition to their core annual leave entitlement.
This article is for staff working on Agenda for Change contracts. This includes nurses and most administrative staff in the NHS – in fact, it covers most NHS staff who aren’t doctors or dentists.
NHS Agenda for Change Annual Leave Entitlement
Standard annual leave entitlements for full time NHS staff are as follows:
| Years Service | Annual Leave | Bank Holidays | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | 27 | 8 | 35 |
| 5-10 | 29 | 8 | 37 |
| 10+ | 33 | 8 | 41 |
If you work part-time, or less than 37.5 hours per week, your annual leave is pro-rata. You can use the calculator or tables below to work out your entitlement.
NHS staff working on Agenda for Change contracts are entitled to 27 days of annual leave as standard if they have worked in the NHS for less than five years.
If they have worked in the NHS for between 5 and 10 years, they are entitled to 29 days of annual leave.
And if they have worked in the NHS for more than 10 years, they are entitled to 33 days of annual leave.
In addition, all NHS Agenda for Change staff are entitled to 8 days of bank holiday leave each year. This does not change with length of service.
However, sometimes additional bank holidays are announced and added to your annual leave entitlement.
The most recent example was the bank holiday announced for the coronation of the King in May 2023. Additionally, because of how they fall in the calendar, there are two Good Friday Bank Holidays in the 2023/24 annual leave year – one on 7th April 2023, and the second on 31st March 2024.
This means that most people received 10 days of bank holiday leave in 2023/24, and will receive only 7 days in 2024/25.
NHS Annual Leave Calculator
Use this calculator to work out your annual leave based on your years of NHS employment and the number of hours you work each week.
The results are shown in days, hours and minutes.
NHS Annual Leave Entitlement Calculator
Annual Leave Entitlement:
days (equivalent to hours)
Bank Holiday Leave Entitlement:
days (equivalent to hours)
If you are uncertain, please do double check these calculations with your HR department, as there may be information specific to you that also applies.
NHS Annual Leave Table – less than 5 years service
This table shows the amount of NHS annual leave you should be entitled if you are new to working in the NHS or if you have less than five years of service. The table is based on the number of days you work per week.
| Days per week | Annual Leave | Bank Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days (37.5 hours) | 27 days | 8 days |
| 4 days (30 hours) | 21 days, 4 hrs, 30 mins | 6 days, 3 hrs |
| 3 days (22.5 hours) | 16 days, 1 hr, 30 mins | 4 days, 6 hrs |
| 2 days (15 hours) | 10 days, 6 hrs | 3 days, 1hr, 30 mins |
| 1 day (7.5 hours) | 5 days, 3 hrs | 1 day, 4 hrs, 30 mins |
If you work a different amount (eg, 3.5 days per week) you can use the calculator above, or contact your HR department to show how much annual leave you are entitled to.
NHS Annual Leave Table – after 5 years service
This table shows the amount of NHS annual leave you should be entitled if you have between five and ten years of NHS service. The table is based on the number of days you work per week.
| Days per week | Annual Leave | Bank Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days (37.5 hours) | 29 days | 8 days |
| 4 days (30 hours) | 23 days, 1 hr, 30 mins | 6 days, 3 hrs |
| 3 days (22.5 hours) | 17 days, 3 hrs | 4 days, 6 hrs |
| 2 days (15 hours) | 11 days, 4 hrs, 30 mins | 3 days, 1hr, 30 mins |
| 1 day (7.5 hours) | 5 days, 6 hrs | 1 day, 4 hrs, 30 mins |
If you work a different amount (eg, 3.5 days per week) you can use the calculator above, or contact your HR department to show how much annual leave you are entitled to.
Don’t forget that you should make sure that your HR department includes all previous NHS employment when calculating how many years of service you have for annual leave, even if there has been a break in service of several years. The rules here are slightly different to those for pay or sick leave where previous service has to be continuous.
NHS Annual Leave Table – after 10 years service
This table shows the amount of annual leave you should be entitled to if you have been working in the NHS for over ten years. The table is based on the number of days you work per week.
| Days per week | Annual Leave | Bank Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days (37.5 hours) | 33 days | 8 days |
| 4 days (30 hours) | 26 days, 3 hrs | 6 days, 3 hrs |
| 3 days (22.5 hours) | 19 days, 6 hrs | 4 days, 6 hrs |
| 2 days (15 hours) | 13 days, 1 hr, 30 mins | 3 days, 1hr, 30 mins |
| 1 day (7.5 hours) | 6 days, 4 hrs, 30 mins | 1 day, 4 hrs, 30 mins |
If you work a different amount (eg, 3.5 days per week) you can use the calculator above, or contact your HR department to show how much annual leave you are entitled to.
Don’t forget that you should make sure that your HR department includes all previous NHS employment when calculating how many years of service you have for annual leave, even if there has been a break in service of several years. The rules here are slightly different to those for pay or sick leave where previous service has to be continuous.
When does the NHS Annual Leave Year start?
Annual leave is normally calculated from 1st April to 31st March. If your employer or organisation has a different annual leave year, they will tell you when you join.
Do NHS staff get bank holidays?
All NHS staff working on an Agenda for Change contract are entitled to eight days of bank holiday per year.
Because the NHS has to provide services 24 hours per day, 365 days per year many staff are required to work on bank holiday days. If this is the case, they are still entitled to take those eight days at another time during the year.
Your employer’s leave policy will explain the procedure for taking bank holiday leave in lieu.
Can I buy and sell extra Annual Leave in the NHS?
Some NHS employers offer their staff buy up to one week of additional annual leave.
Your employer will have a policy setting out how and when you can buy extra annual leave and you will need usually also need to agree this with your line manager or department.
You are not allowed to sell annual leave back to your employer. This also applies to additional annual leave that you purchase so make sure you take it before the end of the year?
Can I carry over annual leave in the NHS?
Most NHS employers allow you to carry over some annual leave to the next year – unless there are extraordinary circumstances, this is normally limited to one week per year. You will also usually be required to take carried over annual leave within a month or two of the start of the new leave year.
Is previous NHS service counted towards annual leave?
Yes, previous NHS service is counted towards annual leave. It is counted even if there is a gap between your previous service and your current service. The length of this gap doesn’t matter – so even if it has been ten years or more since you last worked in the NHS, your previous service should still be counted.
Your current NHS employer won’t always automatically know about your previous service, so if you think it hasn’t been counted get in touch with your HR department.
The rules covering previous service for annual leave are slightly different thank for calculating other reckonable service and not all employers are familiar with them. If they are not you should refer them to section 12.4 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook.
Similar provisions apply in many doctors contracts too.