NHS salary if you drop a grade?

[Iwillhavealargeone]

So I have 4 years experience as a b6, was lucky enough to get a B7, but I'm not happy and am looking elsewhere.
Potentially I might have to accept a b6 role in the meantime but my happiness and mental health is more important.

If I did drop down where on the pay scale would I fit in, mid point? Surely I would not go down to the bottom?

Definitely discuss with the recruiting manager. I am a band 7 and applied for a band 6 purely because I had moved house and had a 90 mile round commute. At interview I was offered a band 7 even though I had not applied for one. I always thought there was no flex with these sort of things but there definitely is. Good luck with it working for the NHS can be very stressful these days.

@JessicaBrassica
i don’t think there are any overlaps any more, so the NHS screenshot I posted may be out of date - but the principle of the agreement should still be there.

Empathising with all who are struggling with a band 7. Mine was a management post but still loads of clinical responsibilities. It was literally impossible to do all I had to do, in fact just reading the several hundred emails per week was impossible.

I now work 3 long days most weeks for the same money…
I was working 5-6 long days just to get it all done. Totally unsustainable and I never switched off.

@onepieceoflollipop

You sound like you have made the right move

There is a definite shift of b7 responsibilities now. So much operational responsibility!

I did this after going on maternity after being in a B7 secondment. I dropped back to a B6 for a short time after mat leave before getting a different B7 role and was put at the top of B6. There arent any overlaps anymore

I'm sorry to hear you aren't enjoying your band 7 job. I'm finding it reassuring to read it isn't just me though. I did it for 13 years including through COVID, and then... I'm now working agency, in charge of my own shifts/time and loving the patient care, less responsibility, and earning slightly more (but pension has taken a hit). Overall worth it in terms of family life.

Thank you everyone, I will see what happens at interview - I'd be happy with top band 6

Just thought I would update this.
Job went from bad to worse, in the end I handed my notice in and as going to resign and just do bank/agency work. But, I got offered a band 6 day time role only, and they have put me at the top of band 6.

Great news OP, well done!

Glad to hear it OP, congratulations!

@Iwillhavealargeone
brilliant news and glad they put you at top band 6.
I’m a year on from you, having gone back to a 6 from a 7 and have zero regrets. In fact I’m loving the better work/life balance and rarely think of work unless I am physically on duty.

I left the NHS now but I was on a different point to what I should have been.
I would insist on being a band 6 top point. They will always say you can't do this but if they want you they can.

This is great to hear. I did similair and the balance is great

It’s negotiable. I went for a band 5 job (which I am massively overqualified for but omg I love it and my life is so much easier) as a top end band 6 (having just changed my mind about the band 7 job I was supposed to start). They agreed top of band 5.

If you drop from Band 7 back to Band 6, you don’t automatically go to the bottom of the Band 6 scale, but you also don’t always land on the exact “mid-point” either. In the NHS Agenda for Change system, when someone moves down a band, your starting point in the new band is usually based on your previous experience, skills, and the closest matching pay step, but it is ultimately decided by HR based on “pay protection” rules and internal policy.
In many cases, someone with 4 years’ Band 7 experience would likely be placed at a higher Band 6 point (not entry level), especially if your skills are still relevant to the Band 6 role. However, this is not guaranteed as automatic progression—some trusts may still place you at a lower point but above the bottom, depending on matching criteria and local policy.
Also worth remembering: dropping a band can affect not just basic salary, but also pension contributions, overtime rates, and overall monthly take-home pay. So it’s always a good idea to calculate what the actual difference will look like before making the decision.
If you want to clearly compare your exact take-home pay between Band 7 and different Band 6 points, you can check it here:
https://nhspaycalculatorss.co.uk/