NHS Annual Leave Calculator: Entitlement Guide 2025

Figuring out your NHS annual leave entitlement can feel like untangling a ball of wool—especially if you work part‑time or have just passed the five‑year mark. But the calculation is simpler than it looks: a few numbers and a straightforward formula.

Full‑time base entitlement (<5 years): 27 days per year ·
After 5 years (full‑time): 29 days per year ·
Standard working week: 37.5 hours ·
Pro‑rata formula: (weekly hours ÷ 37.5) × full‑time days

Four milestones, one pattern: the longer you serve, the more leave you earn. But the jump from 27 to 29 days after five years is the one that catches most staff.

How is NHS annual leave calculated?

What is the standard entitlement for full‑time staff?

• Full‑time Agenda for Change staff on appointment receive 27 days of annual leave per year, plus 8 public holidays (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• After five complete years of NHS service, this rises to 29 days plus 8 public holidays (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))
• After ten years, the entitlement reaches 33 days plus 8 public holidays (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

What is the formula for part‑time staff?

• The core formula: (your contracted weekly hours ÷ 37.5) × full‑time annual leave days (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Example: a 30‑hour week using the 27‑day base → (30 ÷ 37.5) × 27 = 21.6 days of annual leave (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))
• Bank holidays are also pro‑rated: part‑time staff receive a proportion of the 8 public holidays (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

How are bank holidays handled?

• For most Agenda for Change staff, bank holidays are included in the total annual leave allowance, not added on top (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Part‑time staff receive a pro‑rata share of bank holidays, based on the number of days they typically work (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Scotland and Northern Ireland may have different numbers of public holidays; check your trust’s local policy (Salary Sacrifice Calculator (third‑party calculator))

The implication: bank holidays are never an extra free pass—they are part of your contractual leave budget. Know your trust’s policy before planning.

How many annual leave days are you entitled to after 10 years in NHS?

Does the national standard increase after 10 years?

• Yes, the national Agenda for Change standard rises to 33 annual leave days after 10 years of service (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• This is in addition to the 8 public holidays, giving a total of 41 days off per year for full‑time staff (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))

What do individual trusts offer after 10 years?

• Some trusts may offer additional annual leave days beyond the national minimum after 10 years; this is not guaranteed and should be confirmed in your contract or local agreement (East London NHS Foundation Trust (NHS trust policy))
• The East London NHS Foundation Trust, for example, specifies 7 bank holidays for the 2024‑2025 year, reflecting local variations (East London NHS Foundation Trust (NHS trust policy))

How to check your own entitlement

• Review your employment contract and your trust’s annual leave policy (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Use the NHS annual leave calculator tool on NursingNotes to run your own numbers (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))
• Speak to your HR department if you believe your leave record has not been updated after 10 years

The pattern: the national increase at 10 years is clear, but local top‑ups are worth asking about. A quick conversation with HR could reveal extra days you hadn’t counted on.

How much annual leave after 5 years NHS?

What is the exact entitlement after 5 years?

• Full‑time Agenda for Change staff are entitled to 29 annual leave days per year after five complete years of NHS service (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• This does not include bank holidays; with 8 public holidays the total becomes 37 days off per year (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))

Is it the same for all NHS staff?

• The 29‑day entitlement applies to most NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Doctors in training, dentists, and senior managers have separate contractual arrangements that may follow different rules (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

Does it include bank holidays?

• No, the 29 days are annual leave only. Bank holidays (typically 8 in England and Wales) are added on top, unless your trust includes them in the overall allowance (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

The implication: trusting the automatic update without checking your payslip can cost you days. Verify your leave record after each anniversary.

How do you calculate your annual leave pay?

What is the formula for annual leave pay?

• Annual leave pay is based on your normal remuneration, including regular overtime if it is part of your usual pattern (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• For staff with variable hours, the reference period is usually the previous 12 weeks of pay (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

Does it include overtime?

• Only overtime that is “regular and contractual” counts; occasional voluntary overtime is not included in the leave‑pay calculation (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

How to calculate for part‑time staff

• Part‑time staff receive the same hourly rate when on annual leave as when working (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Multiply your contracted hours by your hourly rate to get the daily or weekly leave pay (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))

The trade‑off: including regular overtime boosts your leave pay, but unscheduled extra shifts won’t. Keep a record of your predictable overtime to support your claim.

How many hours of annual leave for 30 hours?

What is the calculation for a 30‑hour contract?

• Formula: (30 ÷ 37.5) × full‑time annual leave days (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))
• Using the 27‑day base: (30 ÷ 37.5) × 27 = 21.6 days per year (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))

How many days does that equal?

• 21.6 days of annual leave per year for a part‑time employee working 30 hours per week on a 27‑day base (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))
• After 5 years of service, the same calculation becomes (30 ÷ 37.5) × 29 = 23.2 days (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

How does it compare to full‑time entitlement?

• A full‑time employee (37.5 hours) on the same base gets 27 days; the 30‑hour worker gets 21.6 days, which is exactly 80% of the full‑time amount (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance))
• Bank holidays are pro‑rated similarly: 80% of 8 = 6.4 bank holidays applicable (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union))

The upshot: the pro‑rata formula keeps things fair—you get the same proportion of leave as your hours represent of a full‑time week. Run the numbers once and you can plan your year with confidence.

What this means: the pro‑rata formula ensures fairness, but you must manually apply it to your own contract. A quick calculation gives you the exact number you can expect.

Step‑by‑step guide to calculating your NHS annual leave

1. Determine your total continuous NHS service years (count all service under any NHS trust).
2. Look up your full‑time annual leave base: 27 days (<5 years), 29 days (5–9 years), or 33 days (10+ years) (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).
3. Note your contracted weekly hours (e.g., 30 hours, 22.5 hours).
4. Apply the pro‑rata formula: (your hours ÷ 37.5) × full‑time days (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance)).
5. If your trust includes bank holidays in the allowance, add the pro‑rata share: (your hours ÷ 37.5) × number of public holidays (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).
6. Check your trust’s local policy for any additional service‑based increments or regional bank‑holiday variations (East London NHS Foundation Trust (NHS trust policy)).

Follow these steps in order, and you will have your exact leave entitlement in minutes.

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Full‑time base entitlement begins at 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) for new starters (NursingNotes (NHS staff guidance)).
• After five years, the national standard increases to 29 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).
• After ten years, the standard rises to 33 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).
• Part‑time leave is calculated pro‑rata using a 37.5‑hour full‑time week (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).

What’s unclear

• Exact entitlement after 10 years can vary by trust; some trusts may offer extra days beyond the national standard (East London NHS Foundation Trust (NHS trust policy)).
• Whether bank holidays are separate or included in your annual leave allowance depends on the individual trust’s policy (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).
• The exact number of bank holidays can differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland (Salary Sacrifice Calculator (third‑party calculator)).
• The carry‑over policy for unused leave varies by trust (Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union)).

“NHS contractual leave exceeds statutory minimum and is detailed in your employment contract. Part‑time staff receive pro‑rata statutory and contractual annual leave.”

— Royal College of Nursing (nursing trade union) (source)

“For the 2024‑2025 year, full‑time staff at our trust receive 7 bank holidays, included in the annual leave allowance.”

— East London NHS Foundation Trust (NHS trust policy) (source)

For NHS part‑time staff, the implication is clear: use the pro‑rata formula to calculate your exact entitlement, or risk leaving holiday days unclaimed. A five‑minute check of your service length and contracted hours will give you the number you deserve.

Related reading: NHS Annual Leave Calculator · Annual leave and holiday pay

Frequently asked questions