Written question asked by Mike Wood (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Friday, 11 September 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Civil Service and NHS: Pay

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the level of pay differentials between senior public sector positions in (a) the Civil Service and (b) the NHS.

Answer: In respect of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE), the two organisations currently operate under different pay frameworks. DHSC, as a Civil Service department, applies pay and grading arrangements in line with Civil Service requirements. NHSE, as an Arm's Length Body, uses NHS pay and grading arrangements including Agenda for Change and other NHS contractual frameworks. Any future decisions on pay and terms and conditions in the new DHSC will be subject to formal consultation with recognised Trade Unions, and we will not give a running commentary on those discussions.

Secondary information