A study from Boon Brokers found that with salaries ranging from £32,073 to £39,043, an NHS worker with a 5% deposit would not be able to afford a home in many UK cities.
The borrowing shortfall is the widest in London, where an NHS employee on a Band 5 salary with a 5.5 income multiple would only be able to borrow up to £204,925, compared to an average property price of £463,000. This would leave them with a borrowing gap of £234,925.
An average-priced home in Bristol would also be out of reach, as the maximum they could borrow would be £170,770, compared to an average property price of £309,000, giving them a loan shortfall of £122,780.
The four cities that would be affordable for an NHS worker on a Band 5 salary would be Nottingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow, Boon Brokers found.
| City | Average First-Time Buyer Property Price | Mortgage Required (95% LTV) | Maximum Mortgage for NHS Band 5 (5.5x) | Borrowing Shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £463,000 | £439,850 | £204,925 | £234,925 |
| Bristol | £309,000 | £293,550 | £170,770 | £122,780 |
| Edinburgh | £244,000 | £231,800 | £170,770 | £61,030 |
| Manchester | £233,000 | £221,350 | £170,770 | £50,580 |
| Cardiff | £233,000 | £221,350 | £170,770 | £50,580 |
| Leeds | £213,000 | £202,350 | £170,770 | £31,580 |
| Birmingham | £211,000 | £200,450 | £170,770 | £29,680 |
| Southampton | £208,000 | £197,600 | £170,770 | £26,830 |
| Norwich | £203,000 | £192,850 | £170,770 | £22,080 |
| Sheffield | £196,000 | £186,200 | £170,770 | £15,430 |
| Belfast | £181,000 | £171,950 | £170,770 | £1,180 |
| Nottingham | £177,000 | £168,150 | £170,770 | Mortgage Achievable |
| Newcastle | £178,000 | £169,100 | £170,770 | Mortgage Achievable |
| Liverpool | £167,000 | £158,650 | £170,770 | Mortgage Achievable |
| Glasgow | £166,000 | £157,700 | £170,770 | Mortgage Achievable |
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Higher salaries main route to homeownership
The firm said that while some lower-paid NHS workers might be able to get onto the property ladder by purchasing a flat or maisonette, homeownership was inaccessible until employees progressed to Band 6, 7 or 8a salaries.
Band 6 salaries start at £39,959 and the maximum Band 8a salary is £64,750.
| Band | Example roles | <2 yrs | Mid range | Top of band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 Closed to new entrants (Dec 2018) |
Domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver, nursery assistant | — | — | — |
| Band 2 | Healthcare assistant, secretary/typist, security officer, domestic team leader | £23,615 | £23,615 | — |
| Band 3 | Emergency care assistant, trainee clinical coder, OT support worker | £24,071 | — | £25,674 |
| Band 4 | Assistant practitioner, pharmacy technician, dental nurse | £26,530 | — | £29,114 |
| Band 5 | Nurse, ODP, podiatrist, therapeutic radiographer, ICT test analyst | £29,970 | £32,324 | £36,483 |
| Band 6 | School nurse, experienced paramedic, health records manager, clinical psychology trainee | £37,338 | £39,405 | £44,962 |
| Band 7 | Communications manager, high intensity therapist, advanced speech & language therapist | £46,148 | £48,526 | £52,809 |
| Band 8a | Modern matron, nurse consultant, dental lab manager, project/programme manager | £53,755 | £56,454 | £60,504 |
| Band 8b | Head of education & training, clinical physiology service manager, head orthoptist | £62,215 | £66,246 | £72,293 |
| Band 8c | Head of HR, consultant clinical scientist, consultant paramedic | £74,290 | £78,814 | £85,601 |
| Band 8d | Consultant psychologist, chief nurse, chief finance manager, estates manager | £88,168 | £93,572 | £101,677 |
| Band 9 | Podiatric consultant (surgery), chief finance manager, director of estates & facilities | £105,385 | £111,740 | £121,271 |
Boon Brokers’ research found that the NHS Band 7 salary was the minimum needed in Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh to buy a home with a 95% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage.
Homeownership in Bristol was unaffordable for NHS workers until Band 8a.
Even in cities with lower property prices, such as Birmingham, Southampton and Norwich, a minimum salary of at least Band 6 was required for a single homeowner.
Boon Brokers said there was a “growing disconnect” between NHS salaries and modern property prices in many UK cities. It said homeownership was increasingly shaped by geography, salary progression and longer saving timelines.
The firm said: “Across several UK cities, the research suggests that average first-time buyer property costs are no longer keeping pace with NHS salary growth, leaving many workers facing increasingly unrealistic pathways towards long-term homeownership, despite full-time employment within the NHS.”
