- Priory increases minimum pay to £13.45 per hour from April 2026 – equivalent to the Real Living Wage
- More than 8,200 colleagues across the organisation will benefit from the uplift
- Some colleagues will receive pay increases of up to 6.7%.
Priory has announced that it will increase its minimum hourly pay to £13.45 from 1 April 2026, ensuring all permanent colleagues across the organisation continue to be paid at least the equivalent of the Real Living Wage.
The increase will benefit more than 8,200 colleagues working across Priory’s mental health, addiction and adult social care services in the UK, with some employees receiving pay rises of up to 6.7%.
The uplift builds on Priory’s commitment, first made in 2022, to ensure all permanent colleagues are paid at least the Real Living Wage.
Under the new rates, the minimum annual salary for a full-time permanent colleague working a 37.5-hour week will rise to £26,227, while pay differentials for more senior roles will remain in place.
The announcement comes at a time when pay in the wider adult social care sector continues to face pressure.
Priory Chief Executive Officer Rebekah Cresswell said the pay increase reflects the organisation’s ongoing commitment to supporting and retaining the skilled colleagues who deliver care across its services.
The organisation has achieved several key milestones, including:
- 89% of services rated Good or better by regulators
- Highest ever colleague engagement score of 78%
- Lowest ever colleague turnover of 20.4%, down 51% on post-pandemic peak
- Continued strong outcomes for patients and residents across its services.
Cresswell said: “Our colleagues are the bedrock of everything we do and deliver compassionate, high-quality care every day to thousands of people across our mental health, addiction and adult social care services.
“Maintaining our commitment to pay at least the Real Living Wage recognises the vital work our teams do and supports our goal of maintaining a stable, skilled and motivated workforce.
“Despite wider pressures across the health and care sector, we remain committed to investing in our colleagues so we can continue delivering the high-quality care people rely on.”
Alongside the pay uplift, Priory continues to expand opportunities for colleagues to develop their careers within the organisation.
Currently, 698 colleagues are completing apprenticeships, gaining nationally-recognised qualifications while working in Priory services.
Priory has also introduced specialist career pathways, including the Autism Specialist role, launched in 2025 for healthcare assistants and support workers. The role includes dedicated training and an annual stipend to support colleagues developing specialist expertise in autism care.
Such initiatives remain central to the organisation’s newly launched Priory Plan 2026–2030, which includes a strategic commitment to provide outstanding learning and development opportunities for colleagues.
“As we look ahead, our focus remains on supporting people to live their lives as fully and as independently as they can through compassionate, effective care.
“Investing in our workforce is essential to achieving that ambition and ensuring we can continue supporting individuals, families and communities across the country.”
Priory continues to evolve its services to meet changing health and care needs across the UK.
This includes developing new community-based pathways and expanding its Priory Flourish addiction recovery services, while increasing adult social care capacity and adapting healthcare services to meet future demand.