Public sector jobs in Medway

The biggest NHS employer in Medway is Medway NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham. Medway Council employs most of the rest of the public sector workforce, with schools, Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service recruiting in the area as well. Community health services changed hands on 1 October 2026, which matters if you are looking at community nursing or therapy jobs. NHS pay starts at £25,272 on band 2 from April 2026.

Medway Maritime Hospital

NHS.UK gives the hospital’s address as Windmill Road, Gillingham, and credits Medway NHS Foundation Trust with the information. The trust’s website lists an emergency department, maternity services, critical care and diagnostic services, plus pages on careers and volunteering. A hospital of that kind employs nurses and midwives, doctors, radiographers, healthcare assistants, porters and administrators.

Agenda for Change rates for England apply. From 1 April 2026, band 2 is £25,272, band 5 runs from £32,073 to £39,043 and band 6 from £39,959 to £48,117. Kent and Medway are outside the London high cost area, so these are the standard rates. The Agenda for Change bands guide lists every band.

Community and mental health services

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust says that from 1 October 2026 it is responsible for providing the majority of services previously delivered by Medway Community Healthcare. Anyone who works in or applies for community nursing, therapy or similar work in Medway should therefore expect the employer in new adverts to be Kent Community Health.

Mental health services come from Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, whose website lists children and young people’s mental health, learning disability, eating disorder, perinatal and dementia services.

NHS staff join the NHS Pension Scheme. Contributions in 2026/27 are 6.5% on pensionable pay of £13,260 to £28,854 and 9.8% on £35,156 to £52,778. The take-home pay calculator shows the effect on monthly pay.

Medway Council

Medway Council is based at Gun Wharf in Chatham. Its website lists social care and health, schools and learning, housing, planning, waste and recycling, libraries and leisure among its services, and it runs its own jobs section. Social workers, planners, housing officers and library staff are all recruited locally. Pay follows the NJC spine from SCP 3 (£25,614) from 1 April 2026, and employees can join the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Schools

Medway has primary and secondary schools, maintained and academy. Teachers outside London start on £34,069 (M1) from 1 September 2026. The government accepted the award, and the pay document was published on GOV.UK on 16 October 2026, so maintained schools apply it from 1 September 2026, backdated where needed. Support staff are paid on the NJC spine, pro rata and often only in term time.

Police, fire and ambulance

The Police Act 1996 puts the Medway Towns in the Kent police area, so Kent Police covers Medway. A constable starts on £32,255 from 1 September 2026. Kent Fire and Rescue Service says it is there for everyone in Kent and Medway, and firefighters earn £31,539 in development and £40,358 when competent from 1 July 2026. South East Coast Ambulance Service is the regional ambulance employer.

Elsewhere in Kent

Maidstone and Canterbury are the nearest other places with large public employers. Public sector jobs in Maidstone and public sector jobs in Canterbury cover the county council, hospital trusts and universities there.