What is the notice period for an NHS Band 6?

Usually two months, but your contract decides. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) Handbook does not set notice periods by band; each trust sets notice in its contracts and local policy, and two months is the common Band 6 figure (some trusts use six or eight weeks). It usually applies whether you are resigning or being made redundant. Whatever your contract says, the legal minimum applies: one week from you once you have worked one month, and from the trust one week per full year of service (at least one week, up to 12 weeks).

Is the Band 6 notice longer than Band 5?

Usually not. Most trusts put Bands 5 and 6 on the same notice, typically two months on both sides, with Band 7 at two or three months and Bands 8a to 9 at three months. The differences between Bands 5 and 6 are in pay, scope of practice and responsibility, not in the notice contract. Some Band 6 specialist or leadership roles occasionally have longer notice agreed by individual contract. Check your own contract.

How do I calculate the Band 6 final working day?

Count the calendar months in your contract (two at most trusts) from the date the trust receives your written resignation. If you hand in notice on 4 February on two months' notice, your final working day is 3 April. If the calendar date falls on a weekend, the notice still ends on that day; you do not get an extra working day. The NHS Notice Period Calculator handles the arithmetic for any start date.

Can my line manager hold me to a longer Band 6 notice than the contract says?

No. The contractual notice in your contract is the maximum the trust can require. They can ask informally for longer to help with cover, but you are entitled to leave when your contractual notice ends. The exception is where you have signed a separate variation extending the notice (uncommon at Band 6 but possible for leadership posts), in which case the variation applies.

What about Band 6 specialist or charge-nurse roles?

Most Band 6 specialist roles use the same notice as other Band 6 posts in the trust (typically two months). Some senior clinical leadership posts (modern matron, lead clinician, ward-manager senior leads) may have a longer notice written into individual contracts because of the cover-arrangement complexity. The contract you signed at appointment is the source of truth.

NHS Band 6 Notice Period: Usually 2 Months (2026 Guide)

The headline rule

NHS Band 6 staff are on Agenda for Change (AfC) pay and terms, but the national AfC handbook does not set notice periods by band. Each trust sets notice in its contracts and local policy. The most common Band 6 figure is two months on both sides (some trusts use six or eight weeks), written into your individual employment contract at appointment.

The same figure usually applies whether you are resigning or being made redundant. The UK statutory minimum under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sits underneath as a floor: one week from you once you have worked one month, and from the trust one week per full year of service (at least one week, up to 12 weeks). Where the statute gives more than the contract, the statutory figure applies.

Worked example dates

On two months’ notice, counting from the date the trust receives your written resignation:

Resignation in on 6 January → final working day 5 March.
Resignation in on 28 February → final working day 27 April.
Resignation in on 31 March → final working day 30 May.
Resignation in on 15 October → final working day 14 December.

These example dates count notice as ending the day before the matching date, which is how many trust HR teams count it. Our calculators treat the day you hand in notice as day zero, so they show the matching date instead (resign on 12 March with one month’s notice and the calculator shows 12 April). Ask HR which way your trust counts, and get the agreed last day in writing.

The NHS notice period calculator handles the arithmetic and the weekend or bank holiday rollback for any start date. The general notice period calculator and final working day calculator do the same with extra options.

Roles that sit at Band 6

Band 6 is the second of the qualified professional bands. Typical roles include:

Experienced nurses post-preceptorship, charge nurses, senior nurses with specialist responsibility.
Specialist midwives (community, parent education, bereavement, postnatal).
Specialist allied health professionals (clinical specialists in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language, dietetics).
Senior healthcare scientists, advanced practitioner biomedical scientists.
Senior administrative and operational managers with departmental responsibility.

Within a trust, the notice is normally the same across all Band 6 roles. The job description determines the band, not the underlying profession.

Notice during Band 6 probation

Promotion from Band 5 to Band 6 within the same trust usually does not trigger a fresh probation period because the contract is continuous. A new external Band 6 appointment does, typically six months. During probation notice is shorter on both sides, normally one month, before rising to the full contractual figure (typically two months) once probation is signed off.

For the detail on how NHS probation works, see NHS probation period and the practical NHS probation guide.

Handing in notice

A written resignation letter to your line manager, copied to HR, alongside the formal ESR (Electronic Staff Record) entry. Keep the letter short and professional: state the resignation, name the role, give the final working day, offer support with the handover.

The resignation letter generator builds a tailored letter from a few fields. The resignation letter templates include an NHS-appropriate example. The full step-by-step from handing in notice through to the last day is at the NHS resignation guide.

What happens during your notice

The contractual relationship continues in full. You turn up for shifts. You complete documentation. You comply with the clinical and professional standards required by your regulator and the trust. Your pay, pension contributions, and benefits run as normal until the final working day. Confidentiality and any restrictive covenants in your contract remain in force.

Annual leave accrued during the leave year can be taken during notice or paid out in the final pay packet. Most trusts prefer leave during notice where workload allows. The holiday entitlement calculator pro-rates the accrued balance.

Garden leave and PILON at Band 6

Garden leave is uncommon at Band 6 in the resignation context. It appears in some specialist clinical leadership contracts but is not the default. The trust cannot impose garden leave without a contractual clause.

PILON (payment in lieu of notice, where the contract ends immediately and the notice period is paid as a lump sum) is also uncommon for resignation at Band 6. It appears more often in redundancy and disciplinary contexts. The PILON calculator models the gross value. See also PILON explained and garden leave explained.

Negotiating a shorter notice

The contractual notice is occasionally shortened by mutual agreement. The usual triggers are: a new employer needing you sooner, a personal circumstance change, a service reorganisation that makes a shorter exit mutually convenient.

Approach is via your line manager and HR. The trust will look at cover arrangements, team workload, and the operational implications. If a shorter date works, it is recorded in writing as a variation to the contractual notice. There is no contractual right to a shorter notice at Band 6; it is at the trust’s discretion.

What if you cannot serve your full notice?

Walking out is a breach of contract. The practical consequences are usually: unpaid days lost from the date you stopped, a more cautious reference, and for clinical staff a potential professional concern depending on the circumstances and the regulator (NMC for nurses and midwives, HCPC for AHPs). The trust is unlikely to sue at Band 6 but the reputational impact in a small professional community is real.

If you genuinely cannot complete the notice (serious illness, family emergency), raise it early through HR. Trusts generally accommodate genuine circumstances with documented agreement rather than escalating.

What Band 6 notice is worth in 2026/27

Band 6 has three pay points: £39,959 on entry, £42,170 after 2 years and £48,117 after a further 3 years, subject to the pay progression process. These are the Agenda for Change rates for England from 1 April 2026. The table shows the gross basic pay that falls within the typical Band 6 notice of 2 months, worked out as annual pay divided by 12 for each month.

Band 6 pay points and gross basic pay for the notice period (2026/27, England)
Pay point	Annual pay	Gross pay for 2 months
Entry	£39,959	£6,659.83
Intermediate	£42,170	£7,028.33
Top	£48,117	£8,019.50

Why this matters: if you work your notice, this is roughly the basic pay still to come before your final payslip. If the trust pays you in lieu of notice instead, basic pay for the notice period is the usual starting point for the payment, and it is taxed through payroll like salary. For example, at the top of Band 6 (£48,117), 2 months of basic pay is £8,019.50 before tax, National Insurance and pension contributions. The PILON calculator works through the tax side.

The figures leave out High Cost Area Supplements (London and the fringe zones), unsocial-hours enhancements and on-call pay, which your contract may or may not include in notice pay. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own Agenda for Change scales. Source: NHS Employers, pay scales for 2026/27 (checked 2 November 2026).

Useful calculators

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

What is the notice period for an NHS Band 6?: Usually two months, but your contract decides. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) Handbook does not set notice periods by band; each trust sets notice in its contracts and local policy, and two months is the common Band 6 figure (some trusts use six or eight weeks). It usually applies whether you are resigning or being made redundant. Whatever your contract says, the legal minimum applies: one week from you once you have worked one month, and from the trust one week per full year of service (at least one week, up to 12 weeks).
Is the Band 6 notice longer than Band 5?: Usually not. Most trusts put Bands 5 and 6 on the same notice, typically two months on both sides, with Band 7 at two or three months and Bands 8a to 9 at three months. The differences between Bands 5 and 6 are in pay, scope of practice and responsibility, not in the notice contract. Some Band 6 specialist or leadership roles occasionally have longer notice agreed by individual contract. Check your own contract.
How do I calculate the Band 6 final working day?: Count the calendar months in your contract (two at most trusts) from the date the trust receives your written resignation. If you hand in notice on 4 February on two months' notice, your final working day is 3 April. If the calendar date falls on a weekend, the notice still ends on that day; you do not get an extra working day. The NHS Notice Period Calculator handles the arithmetic for any start date.
Can my line manager hold me to a longer Band 6 notice than the contract says?: No. The contractual notice in your contract is the maximum the trust can require. They can ask informally for longer to help with cover, but you are entitled to leave when your contractual notice ends. The exception is where you have signed a separate variation extending the notice (uncommon at Band 6 but possible for leadership posts), in which case the variation applies.
What about Band 6 specialist or charge-nurse roles?: Most Band 6 specialist roles use the same notice as other Band 6 posts in the trust (typically two months). Some senior clinical leadership posts (modern matron, lead clinician, ward-manager senior leads) may have a longer notice written into individual contracts because of the cover-arrangement complexity. The contract you signed at appointment is the source of truth.

Sources and further reading

NHS Employers: NHS terms and conditions handbook — National Agenda for Change terms. It does not set notice periods by band; your contract and trust policy do.
NHS Employers: Agenda for Change overview — Authoritative reference for AfC pay bands and conditions.
Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86 — Statutory minimum notice underneath the contractual figure.
ACAS: Notice periods — Free, impartial UK guidance on notice mechanics.
Royal College of Nursing employment advice — Union-led advice for Band 6 nursing and midwifery roles.

General information about Band 6 contractual notice under Agenda for Change. Specifics depend on your contract, your trust and any local variations. For your situation, contact your trade union, the trust HR team or ACAS.