Publication changes: Please read the section on 'Notes on changes to publications' within the PDF report as this highlights changes to data currently published and potentially future reports. This report shows monthly numbers of NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) staff groups working in Trusts and CCGs in England (excluding primary care staff). Data is available as headcount and full-time equivalents. This data is an accurate summary of the validated data extracted from the NHS's HR and Payroll system. In addition to the regular monthly reports there are a series of quarterly reports which include statistics on staff in Trusts and CCGs and information for NHS Support Organisations and Central Bodies. The quarterly analysis is published each September (June data), December (September data), March (December data) and June (March data). Additional healthcare workforce data relating to GPs and the Independent Healthcare Provider workforce are also available via the Related Links below. This publication of April 2020 data features a supplementary file which shows trends in HCHS workforce data observed during the NHS response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We welcome feedback on the methodology and tables within this publication. Please email us with your comments and suggestions, clearly stating Monthly HCHS Workforce as the subject heading, via enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk or 0300 303 5678

*** This dataset has been discontinued from November 2015 - please refer to "NHS Workforce - Medical Staff" and "NHS Workforce - Non Medical Staff" datasets using the additional links below ***

Provisional monthly figures for headcount, full time equivalent and role count of NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) staff groups working in England (excluding primary care staff).

As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. No refreshes of the provisional data will take place either as part of the regular publication process, or where minor enhancements to the methodology have an insignificant impact on the figures at a national level.

The monthly publication is an accurate summary of the validated data extracted from the NHS's HR and Payroll system. It has a provisional status as the data may change slightly over time where trusts make updates to their live operational systems. Given the size of the NHS workforce and the changing composition, particularly during this period of transition, it is likely that we will see some additional fluctuations in the workforce numbers over the next few months reflecting both national and local changes as a result of the NHS reforms. These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave.

NHS Workforce statistics on bank staff employed directly by NHS trusts and paid through the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) pay and human resources system.

As of December 2024, the NHS in England employed a total of 1.5 million staff members (headcount: counting each individual staff member), including 157 thousand HCHS doctors. This makes it the largest employer in England. In terms of staff groups, nurses (and health visitors) represented the biggest number, followed by support to doctors, nurses and midwives.

As of February 2024, the National Health Service (NHS) in England employed a total of 1.34 million staff members on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis, including 140 thousand HCHS doctors. This is less than the number of NHS staff on a headcount basis, as not all employees work full-time. This makes the NHS the largest employer in England. This statistic shows the number of staff on a FTE basis in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) in England as of February 2024, by staff group.

A detailed view of the NHS non-medical workforce including nurses, scientists and support staff. Excluding medical or dental doctors within the Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) and GPs and their staff.

NHS Hospital & Community Health Service (HCHS) monthly workforce statistics - Provisional Statistics: Timeseries of Redundancies

As of September 2023, there were a total of 382,485 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses, midwives, and ambulance staff in NHS Hospitals and Community Health Service (HCHS) in England.

NHS Hospital & Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce statistics - equality and divesity.

Medical and non-medical headcount by disability, ethnicity, age, gender, religious belief and sexual orientation.

Provisional monthly figures for full time equivalent (FTE) NHS Hospital and Community Health Service medical staff working in NHS Trusts and CCGs in England.

In December 2024, the vacancy rate of the NHS workforce in England stood at 7.16 percent. The NHS vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2023/2024 was 6.4 percent within the nursing workforce, the lowest in the analyzed period and over five percent among doctors. Vacancy figures decreased in March and June 2020, which corresponds to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when recruitment activity within the NHS was disrupted.

As of September 2024, there were 146,387 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors in NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) in England, which is more than two thousand times the number reported in September 1995.

As of November 2023, over 41.8 thousand mental health nurses worked for the National Health Service (NHS) in England. From 2016 to 2023, the number of mental health nurses staff had a slight steady increase. This statistic depicts the total number of mental health nurses in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023.

A provisional view of GPs by type working in General Practice .

The general practice data records numbers and details of GPs in England. Time series data is available within the excel tables together with more detailed information for December 2016 data for England, by NHS England Regions, NHS England Region Local Offices, Clinical Commissioning Groups and practice.

This report is one of several publications presenting details of staff numbers within the NHS workforce. Links to these publications are at the bottom of the page.

Note: This publication only includes information on GPs, other practice staff groups including Nurses are not included.

Given the classification of ‘Provisional Experimental statistics’ NHS Digital invited comments and feedback on the methodology applied which were reviewed over the summer and incorporated in revisions as part of this publication. Feedback is welcomed via email.

Please email us with your comments and suggestions, clearly stating NHS Workforce as the subject heading, via enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk or 0300 303 5678.

For more details see: http://www.content.digital.nhs.uk/article/2021/Website-Search?productid=...

Quarterly data on staff in NHS support organisations and central bodies

As of November 2023, the total number of midwives in England's National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) stood at 22.2 thousand. The number of midwives employees generally increased from 2009 to 2023. This statistic shows the total number of support doctors, nurses and midwives in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023.

In England, the number of healthcare scientists in the National Health Service (NHS) decreased from 2009 to 2015, however it has been steadily increasing since then. In November 2023, there were 27.9 thousand full-time equivalent healthcare scientists in England's NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS).

In December 2024, the regional vacancy rates of the NHS workforce in the East of England region varied from 4.65 percent to 9.74 per sector. The NHS workforce vacancy rate in the third quarter of 2024/2025 stood at 4.65 percent in the ambulance sector, whereas it stood at 9.74 percent in the sector of mental health. Vacancy figures decreased in March 2020, which corresponds to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.