The NHS Wales consultant pay scale runs from £114,099 at the minimum pay point to £166,585 at the top pay point, effective from 1 April 2026. The scale contains eight pay points, and a consultant reaches the top pay point after 23 completed years of consultant service. Welsh Government applied a 3.5% uplift to basic pay, backdated to 1 April 2026.
NHS Wales Consultant Pay Scale 2026/27
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale for 2026/27 runs across eight pay points from £114,099 to £166,585, effective from 1 April 2026.
Welsh Government publishes the rates in the annual medical and dental pay circular. The 2026/27 circular applies a 3.5% uplift to basic pay for consultants.
The scale below shows the basic salary at each pay point. It also shows how many completed years of consultant service each pay point covers.
| Pay point | Basic salary | Years completed as a consultant | Years before the next pay point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £114,099 | 0 | 1 |
| Pay point 1 | £119,804 | 1 | 1 |
| Pay point 2 | £125,509 | 2 | 1 |
| Pay point 3 | £131,214 | 3 | 1 |
| Pay point 4 | £140,342 | 4 to 8 | 5 |
| Pay point 5 | £148,328 | 9 to 15 | 7 |
| Pay point 6 | £157,457 | 16 to 22 | 7 |
| Pay point 7 | £166,585 | 23 | Top of scale |
How many pay points are on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale contains eight pay points, numbered from the minimum pay point through to pay point 7.
The first four pay points each last one year. The remaining pay points last five, seven and seven years, so most of a consultant career is spent on the final three pay points.
What is a medical examiner paid in NHS Wales?
Medical examiners in NHS Wales are placed on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale, and new entrants to the role start no higher than pay point 4, worth £140,342 from 1 April 2026.
A medical examiner already on a higher pay point keeps that pay point. The cap applies to the starting salary on commencement in the role.
What is the starting salary for a consultant in NHS Wales?
A newly appointed consultant in NHS Wales starts on the minimum pay point at a basic salary of £114,099 from 1 April 2026.
The starting salary rises after one completed year. A consultant with one full year of service moves to pay point 1 at £119,804.
Basic salary is the floor of a consultant’s earnings. Supplements and awards are paid in addition, and are set out later on this page.
What is the maximum salary on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale?
The maximum basic salary on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale is £166,585 at pay point 7 from 1 April 2026.
Pay point 7 is the top of the scale. No further pay point exists above it, so basic salary at pay point 7 rises only through the annual uplift.
The gap between the minimum pay point and pay point 7 is £52,486 in basic salary.
How do consultants move up the NHS Wales pay scale?
Consultants in NHS Wales move up the pay scale on completed years of consultant service, progressing every year through the first four pay points and then at longer intervals.
Progression is based on service, not on grade or job title. A consultant completes the required years, then moves to the next pay point, which works differently from pay progression across other NHS staff groups.
The intervals lengthen sharply after pay point 3. The move from pay point 4 to pay point 5 takes five years, and the two moves after that take seven years each.
Which pay point applies after each year as a consultant?
A consultant in NHS Wales sits on pay point 4 from 4 to 8 completed years, pay point 5 from 9 to 15 years, pay point 6 from 16 to 22 years, and pay point 7 from 23 years onwards.
The table below maps every year of consultant service to its pay point and basic salary for 2026/27.
| Years completed as a consultant | Pay point | Basic salary |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Minimum | £114,099 |
| 1 | Pay point 1 | £119,804 |
| 2 | Pay point 2 | £125,509 |
| 3 | Pay point 3 | £131,214 |
| 4 | Pay point 4 | £140,342 |
| 5 | Pay point 4 | £140,342 |
| 6 | Pay point 4 | £140,342 |
| 7 | Pay point 4 | £140,342 |
| 8 | Pay point 4 | £140,342 |
| 9 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 10 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 11 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 12 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 13 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 14 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 15 | Pay point 5 | £148,328 |
| 16 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 17 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 18 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 19 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 20 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 21 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 22 | Pay point 6 | £157,457 |
| 23 | Pay point 7 | £166,585 |
How long does it take to reach the top of the NHS Wales consultant pay scale?
A consultant in NHS Wales reaches the top pay point of £166,585 after 23 completed years of consultant service.
The first four years bring an increase every year, worth £17,115 in total. The remaining £35,371 takes a further 19 years.
A job advert quoting the full range from £114,099 to £166,585 is therefore quoting a 23-year span, not a salary a new appointment can negotiate towards.
Does pay progression in Wales require a performance review?
Pay progression on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale requires no performance review, and consultants move to the next pay point on completing the required years of service.
The 2024 pay deal removed performance review from progression when it rebuilt the scale. Progression is automatic once the service condition is met.
Can previous consultant service count towards a starting pay point?
Additional years of service can be awarded to a consultant joining NHS Wales when agreed, which sets a starting pay point above the minimum.
The award is a matter of agreement rather than an automatic entitlement. A consultant appointed with prior consultant service should raise it before accepting an offer, because the difference between the minimum pay point and pay point 3 is £17,115 in basic salary.
How do payroll grade steps map to pay points?
The eight pay points on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale map across 24 payroll grade steps running from ZM81-01 to ZM81-24.
The pay circular lists the same basic salaries against the code families ZM81, ZK81, ZL81 and ZC81.
A Welsh payslip prints the grade step, not the pay point. A consultant reading ZM81-12 is on pay point 5 at £148,328, and will find no row labelled 12 on any published pay scale, because grade steps 10 to 16 all sit inside pay point 5. Every other line on the document is covered in this guide to reading an NHS payslip.
How programmed activities affect NHS Wales consultant pay
Programmed activities are the units of work a consultant job plan is built from, and the NHS Wales pay circular calculates a rate per programmed activity by dividing the weekly rate by ten.
A programmed activity is a scheduled block of consultant work. A job plan sets out how many programmed activities a consultant is contracted to deliver each week, split between direct clinical care and supporting professional activities.
Basic salary on the pay scale buys a standard weekly commitment. Programmed activities agreed above that commitment are paid in addition to basic salary.
A consultant checking a payslip against the scale should therefore start from the job plan. A basic salary higher than the published pay point figure usually reflects extra programmed activities rather than an error.
What is paid on top of basic salary for NHS Wales consultants?
Consultants in NHS Wales receive intensity supplements, waiting list initiative payments, clinical excellence awards and clinical impact awards in addition to basic salary.
Each of these is set at a fixed annual value in the pay circular. None is calculated as a percentage of basic salary.
Two consultants on the same pay point can therefore be paid very different total amounts, depending on the intensity band of their rota and any award they hold.
How much is a consultant intensity supplement worth in Wales?
The consultant intensity supplement in NHS Wales is worth £3,303 a year at band 1, £6,600 at band 2 and £9,895 at band 3 from 1 April 2026.
The band reflects out of hours intensity.
| Intensity band | Annual supplement |
|---|---|
| Band 1, low intensity | £3,303 |
| Band 2, medium intensity | £6,600 |
| Band 3, high intensity | £9,895 |
What is the waiting list initiative rate for consultants in Wales?
The waiting list initiative rate for consultants in NHS Wales is £820 from 1 April 2026.
The 2025/26 rate was £792, so the rate rose by £28.
How much are clinical excellence awards worth in Wales?
Clinical excellence awards for consultants in NHS Wales are worth £36,924 at bronze, £48,533 at silver, £60,666 at gold and £78,866 at platinum.
| Award level | Annual value |
|---|---|
| Level 9, bronze | £36,924 |
| Level 10, silver | £48,533 |
| Level 11, gold | £60,666 |
| Level 12, platinum | £78,866 |
How much are clinical impact awards worth in Wales?
Clinical impact awards for consultants in NHS Wales are worth £10,500 at N0, £21,000 at N1, £31,500 at N2 and £42,000 at N3.
| Award level | Annual value |
|---|---|
| N0 | £10,500 |
| N1 | £21,000 |
| N2 | £31,500 |
| N3 | £42,000 |
Did consultant awards increase with the 2026/27 uplift?
Clinical excellence awards and clinical impact awards for consultants in NHS Wales did not change for 2026/27, while basic salary rose by 3.5%.
Award values have held at these levels since 1 April 2025. A consultant holding an award therefore received the uplift on basic salary only, and the award now forms a slightly smaller share of total pay.
Do NHS Wales consultants still receive commitment awards?
Commitment awards no longer exist as a separate payment for consultants in NHS Wales, because the 2024 pay deal absorbed them into the pay scale and reduced it from 14 points to 8.
The old structure ran a shorter pay scale followed by eight commitment award levels, each taking three years to clear. Only a small number of consultants ever reached the highest level.
A consultant who held a commitment award before the deal will not find a commitment award line on a current payslip. The value now sits inside basic salary rather than beside it, which also means it rises with every annual uplift.
How much is a locum consultant paid in NHS Wales?
A locum consultant in NHS Wales is paid at pay point 2 of the consultant pay scale, worth £125,509 from 1 April 2026.
The locum consultant rate is fixed at pay point 2 and carries the payroll code ZC82. Length of service does not move a locum consultant up the pay scale, which is one of the differences covered in this locum against permanent comparison.
How does NHS Wales consultant pay compare with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale runs eight pay points to a top of £166,585, a structure separate from the England, Scotland and Northern Ireland scales because doctors’ pay is devolved.
The Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration, known as the DDRB, makes recommendations covering the whole United Kingdom. Each government then decides what to implement and publishes its own pay circular.
| Nation | Who decides the uplift | Where the rates are published |
|---|---|---|
| Wales | Welsh Government | Medical and dental pay circular for Wales |
| England | UK Government | NHS pay and conditions circular for medical and dental staff |
| Scotland | Scottish Government | Scottish medical and dental pay circular |
| Northern Ireland | Department of Health | Health and Social Care pay circular |
Structures differ as well as amounts. A comparison based on the top of each scale alone is misleading, because the nations differ in how many pay points they use and in how long each pay point lasts.
Why does Wales have eight pay points when England has four thresholds?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale has eight pay points because the 2024 pay deal folded commitment awards into basic pay, replacing a 14-point structure that combined a shorter scale with separate awards.
The deal moved award money into the scale itself. Every consultant can now reach the higher values by completing service, rather than by applying for and holding an award.
The change also protects that money. Award values can be frozen, as clinical excellence awards and clinical impact awards were for 2026/27, while basic salary rises with the annual uplift.
Who sets NHS Wales consultant pay?
Welsh Government sets NHS Wales consultant pay, acting on recommendations from the DDRB and publishing the rates in an annual medical and dental pay circular.
The DDRB reviews doctors’ pay and recommends an annual uplift. Welsh Government decides whether to accept the recommendation and at what level.
The British Medical Association negotiates on behalf of consultants in Wales through its Welsh consultants committee. NHS Wales Employers and the health boards apply the published rates through payroll.
When does NHS Wales consultant pay change?
NHS Wales consultant pay changes annually from 1 April, and the 2026/27 uplift of 3.5% was backdated to 1 April 2026 by pay circular M&D(W) 01/2026.
The uplift is announced after the DDRB reports, which usually falls several weeks or months into the pay year. Consultants are paid at the old rate in the meantime and receive the difference as arrears.
The 2025/26 uplift was 4%, backdated to 1 April 2025. The 2026/27 uplift of 3.5% is 0.5 percentage points lower, and earlier years are set out in the record of past NHS pay awards.
What was the NHS Wales consultant pay scale in 2025/26?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale for 2025/26 ran from £110,240 at the minimum pay point to £160,951 at pay point 7, following a 4% uplift effective 1 April 2025.
| Pay point | 2025/26 basic salary | 2026/27 basic salary |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £110,240 | £114,099 |
| Pay point 1 | £115,752 | £119,804 |
| Pay point 2 | £121,264 | £125,509 |
| Pay point 3 | £126,776 | £131,214 |
| Pay point 4 | £135,596 | £140,342 |
| Pay point 5 | £143,312 | £148,328 |
| Pay point 6 | £152,132 | £157,457 |
| Pay point 7 | £160,951 | £166,585 |
How to check a backdated consultant pay uplift
Checking a backdated consultant pay uplift in NHS Wales takes four steps, comparing the months paid at the 2025/26 rate against the 2026/27 rate for the same pay point.
- Identify the pay point held on 1 April 2026, using the grade step printed on the payslip.
- Find the 2025/26 basic salary for that pay point in the table above.
- Find the 2026/27 basic salary for the same pay point and divide the difference by twelve to get the monthly shortfall.
- Multiply the monthly shortfall by the number of months paid at the 2025/26 rate on or after 1 April 2026.
A consultant who moved to a new pay point during the year checks each period separately, because the monthly shortfall differs at each pay point. The NHS back pay calculator runs the same arithmetic automatically.
What is deducted from NHS Wales consultant pay?
Income tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension Scheme contributions are deducted from NHS Wales consultant basic salary before it reaches a bank account.
NHS Pension Scheme contributions are tiered, so the rate depends on pensionable pay. Income tax depends on the tax code and on total taxable income.
Net pay therefore differs between two consultants on the same pay point. The NHS consultant salary calculator produces a monthly net figure from a chosen pay point.
Common mistakes when checking NHS Wales consultant pay
Four errors account for most disputes over NHS Wales consultant pay, and each is checkable against the published pay circular.
Reading an England pay table and assuming Wales matches. The two nations negotiate separately and use different structures. Wales runs eight pay points reaching £166,585 at the top.
Applying a percentage supplement to a Welsh basic salary. Consultant intensity supplements in Wales are fixed annual sums of £3,303, £6,600 and £9,895. A percentage calculation produces a figure that will not appear on any Welsh payslip.
Treating the 2024 pay deal figures as current. The deal set the scale between £100,000 and £146,000. Two annual uplifts have been applied since, of 4% and then 3.5%.
Counting years since appointment rather than completed years of consultant service. A consultant appointed in the middle of a year has not completed that year. Progression follows completed service, and counting from the appointment date pushes every pay point a year too early.
Frequently asked questions
How many pay points are on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale contains eight pay points, running from a minimum of £114,099 to a top of £166,585 from 1 April 2026. A consultant progresses through the first four pay points annually.
How long does it take to reach the top of the NHS Wales consultant pay scale?
A consultant in NHS Wales reaches the top pay point of £166,585 after 23 completed years of consultant service. The first four years bring an annual increase, after which the intervals lengthen to five and then seven years.
Do NHS Wales consultants still receive commitment awards?
Commitment awards no longer exist as a separate payment for consultants in NHS Wales. The 2024 pay deal folded commitment award values into basic pay, replacing a 14-point structure with the current eight-point pay scale.
What was the NHS Wales consultant pay scale in 2025/26?
The NHS Wales consultant pay scale for 2025/26 ran from £110,240 at the minimum pay point to £160,951 at pay point 7, following a 4% uplift effective 1 April 2025.
How much is a locum consultant paid in NHS Wales?
A locum consultant in NHS Wales is paid at pay point 2 of the consultant pay scale, worth £125,509 from 1 April 2026, under payroll code ZC82 rather than the substantive consultant codes.
Does pay progression in Wales require a performance review?
Pay progression on the NHS Wales consultant pay scale requires no performance review. A consultant moves to the next pay point on completing the required years of consultant service, as set out in the pay circular.