But there are many people in the NHS on band 2 jobs that have degrees, it doesn't mean the job needs one nor that you would be able to get one. For the purpose of NHS lab work for instance, an undergraduate degree on it's own is basically irrelevant unless it is a accrediated biomedical science specific degree. That's the point of degrees, if it's relevant it should help, just a degree on it's own is meaningless.

MLAs on band 2 jobs nearly always have a degree (or at least 90% of the people I worked with below about 35 did), but they can't get biomed jobs that pay band 4-5+ as you need accreditation, like a lab portfolio, not just a random degree. You can even become a biomed through an apprenticeship sceme through labs, but they're difficult to find. In comparison I'm now a senior lab scientist at band 6 and I don't even have a degree, but a lot of experience working in NHS/Univeristy research.