NHS annual leave calculator

Agenda for Change annual leave is set by Section 13, Table 6 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook: 27 days on appointment, 29 after five years, 33 after ten — plus 8 general public holidays. Part-time staff get the same pro-rata, usually managed in hours.

AfC leave bands (§13.1 Table 6)

2026/27

27 · 29 · 33 days + 8 public holidays

Service bands use your NHS reckonable service, not just time in the current trust. NHS Wales staff get one extra day in the first band.

Why NHS leave is counted in hours

NHS Employers recommends managing leave in hours for part-time and shift staff, because taking “a day” off a 12-hour shift would otherwise burn leave three times as fast as a colleague on 4-hour shifts. The conversion: full-time days × 7.5 hours, scaled by your contracted hours ÷ 37.5. This calculator shows both figures.

Full-time entitlement including 8 public holidays (hours at 37.5/week)
Service	Days	Hours
On appointment	35	262.5
After 5 years	37	277.5
After 10 years	41	307.5

Common questions

Does previous NHS service count towards the 5- and 10-year bands?

Yes — the bands use aggregated NHS service (§12 reckonable service), including previous trusts and, since 2018 guidance, breaks for things like maternity. Give your new trust your service history when you move.

When does the extra leave kick in — my anniversary or the leave year?

From the anniversary itself; most trusts pro-rate the leave year you cross the threshold in. Local policy sets the leave-year dates (commonly April–March).

Do bank holidays worked as a shift come back as leave?

Yes — if you work a general public holiday you get equivalent time off in lieu, and unsocial-hours enhancements apply to the shift itself (§13.6).

How does this compare with the statutory minimum?

Statutory is 28 days including bank holidays; the lowest AfC band is 35 including them — the NHS scheme beats the floor at every service length, so the statutory calculator is never the binding number for AfC staff.

Sources for the figures on this page

Last checked 3 July 2026

NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (Agenda for Change)

How we keep these current: methodology & update policy.