NHS notice periods by band

The comparison at a glance

Your individual contract is the source of truth. The band figures above are the ones most NHS trusts use; trusts set them locally, so yours may differ (for example 4, 8 or 12 weeks instead of 1, 2 or 3 months). Whatever your contract says, the statutory minimum applies underneath: 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).

Bands 1 to 4: one month

The usual contractual notice for Bands 1 to 4 is one calendar month on both sides (four weeks at some trusts). The same figure applies to resignation and redundancy. During probation (usually six months) the notice is one week.

Typical roles at this tier: domestic and portering staff (Band 1-2), healthcare assistants (Band 2-3), senior healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners (Band 3-4), administrative and clerical staff (Band 2-4), medical secretaries (Band 3-4).

For a deep dive on each band, see NHS Band 4 notice period. The general notice period calculator and NHS notice period calculator handle the date arithmetic.

Bands 5 to 9: two to three months

Most trusts set two calendar months for Bands 5 and 6 (some use six or eight weeks), two or three months for Band 7 depending on the trust, and three months (or 12 weeks) for Bands 8a to 9. The same figure usually applies whether you are resigning or being made redundant. During probation the notice is typically one month.

Typical roles at this tier: registered nurses and midwives (Band 5-7), allied health professionals (Band 5-7), senior clinical specialists (Band 7-8a), consultant nurses and therapists (Band 8a-8c), service managers (Band 7-8d), chief allied health professionals (Band 8c-9).

Detailed pages for the most common bands: Band 5 and Band 6. Band 7 is typically two or three months and Bands 8a to 9 typically three months, with the same probation pattern.

Doctors in training

Notice for doctors in training is tied to the national rotation pattern. The standard figure is three months, but the practical handling varies by deanery and the point in the training year. Mid- rotation resignations require careful handover and almost always need the deanery’s involvement.

Moves between trusts within an established rotation usually do not need a fresh three months because the contract is continuous. Leaving training entirely usually does. The BMA can advise on specifics.

SAS doctors and consultants

SAS (specialty and associate specialist) doctors usually have three months notice on both sides.

Consultant notice is typically three months for the basic contract but can extend to six months for senior or specialist roles, particularly in shortage specialties where cover is harder to arrange. The contract is the source of truth.

Very senior managers (VSM)

Very senior managers (often chief executives, directors, executive medical and nursing leads) have individually negotiated contracts that sit outside AfC. Notice is commonly six months, sometimes twelve, and gardening leave clauses are more common at this tier than in lower-band contracts.

Local trust variations

Notice is set by each trust, not by the national AfC handbook, so figures and terms vary. Common local variations include:

• Weeks instead of months (4, 8 or 12 weeks) and different band groupings (Band 7 grouped with Bands 5-6 at some trusts and with Bands 8a-9 at others).
• Garden leave clauses for some senior clinical and management roles.
• Pay-protection arrangements that interact with notice if the role is downgraded as part of a restructure.
• Mutually agreed shorter notice through the MARS (mutually agreed resignation scheme) where the trust runs one.

Your contract and the trust HR portal are the practical places to find the version that applies to you.

Notice in special circumstances

Disciplinary dismissal. The trust may dismiss summarily (no notice) for gross misconduct, or with notice for serious misconduct. The contractual notice figure applies in the latter case.

Redundancy. The trust must give the contractual notice plus the statutory minimum where the statutory figure is higher (rare at NHS contract notice lengths). Redundancy consultation runs alongside the notice. See NHS redundancy rights.

Constructive dismissal. Where you resign in response to a fundamental breach by the trust, the notice you give can be immediate (without notice) if the breach is serious enough. See constructive dismissal UK.

Mutual agreement. Both sides can agree a shorter notice. The variation should be recorded in writing and counter-signed by HR. There is no contractual right to a shorter notice; it is at the trust’s discretion.

Worked example dates

Counting calendar months from the date notice is received:

• Band 3 resignation on 12 February → final working day 11 March.
• Band 5 resignation on 12 February (two months) → final working day 11 April.
• Band 8a resignation on 31 March → final working day 30 June.
• Consultant resignation on 12 February (six-month contract) → final working day 11 August.
• VSM resignation on 12 February (twelve-month contract) → final working day 11 February the following year.

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 and the general notice period calculator handle the arithmetic for any combination of notice length and start date.

Useful calculators

• NHS notice period calculator
• Notice period calculator
• Final working day calculator
• Probation end date calculator
• Holiday entitlement calculator
• PILON calculator

Related guides

• NHS Band 9 notice period
• NHS Band 8d notice period
• NHS employment rights — pillar guide.
• NHS resignation guide
• NHS probation period
• NHS redundancy rights
• NHS maternity leave rights
• NHS Band 2 notice period
• NHS Band 3 notice period
• NHS Band 4 notice period
• NHS Band 5 notice period
• NHS Band 6 notice period
• NHS Band 7 notice period
• NHS Band 8a notice period
• NHS Band 8b notice period
• NHS Band 8c notice period
• Notice period rights UK
• Employment rights hub

Frequently asked questions

What is the notice period for each NHS band?

Typical NHS trust figures: Bands 1 to 4 one month; Bands 5 to 6 two months; Band 7 two to three months; Bands 8a to 9 three months. Your own contract governs, because the Agenda for Change handbook does not set notice by band. Consultants and senior medical staff: usually three to six months. Doctors in training: rotation-tied (three months common). Very senior managers: usually six months, sometimes twelve. During probation the notice is shorter on both sides, typically one week (Bands 1-4) or one month (Bands 5 and above).

Where does the NHS notice period rule come from?

From your contract of employment and your trust's local policy. The NHS terms and conditions of service handbook (commonly called the Agenda for Change handbook) sets national pay bands and many other terms, but it does not set notice periods by band (its Section 15 is about leave and pay for new parents). Each trust sets notice locally, which is why figures differ, for example 2 months for Bands 5-6 at one trust and 6 to 8 weeks at another. The only fixed national rule is the statutory minimum in section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996: one week from you once you have worked one month, and from the employer one week per full year of service, up to 12 weeks.

What if my role straddles two bands during a transition?

The notice that applies is the one in your current substantive contract. If you have just promoted from Band 4 to Band 5, the Band 5 notice in the new contract (typically two months) applies from the date the new role takes effect, even if you are within the first month and would otherwise still have been on the Band 4 notice. The contract on the day you give notice is the source of truth.

Do bank, agency and honorary contracts use the same figures?

Not usually. Bank staff are typically engaged on a session-by-session basis with much shorter notice (often zero notice on either side for a specific shift). Agency staff have notice through their agency contract, not the trust. Honorary contracts are usually research or clinical-attachment specific and set their own terms. The standard band figures apply only to substantive employment contracts.

General information about NHS contractual notice under Agenda for Change. Specific figures vary by individual contract, local trust policy and the medical-and- dental terms (for doctors and dentists). For your situation, contact your trade union, the trust HR team or ACAS.