This report shows monthly numbers of NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff working in NHS Trusts and other core organisations in England (excluding primary care staff). Data are available as headcount and full-time equivalents and for all months from 30 September 2009 onwards. These data are a summary of the validated data extracted from the NHS HR and Payroll system. Additional statistics on staff in NHS Trusts and other core organisations and information for NHS Support Organisations and Central Bodies are published each: September (showing June statistics) December/January (showing September statistics) March (showing December statistics) June (showing March statistics) Quarterly NHS Staff Earnings, monthly NHS Staff Sickness Absence reports, and data relating to the General Practice workforce and the Independent Healthcare Provider workforce are also available via the Related Links below. Please note: We intend ceasing publication of the GPs in alternative settings data file as of next month (May data) meaning April 2023 will be the last issue of these data. Please contact us if you require access to these data on an ongoing basis. 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.

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.

From 2009 to 2024, the number of support staff for doctors, nurses, and midwives in England's National Health Service (NHS) overall increased, reaching roughly 297 thousand full-time equivalent employees as of November 2024. This number is down from the 299 thousand reported a year prior.

As of September 2023, there were approximately 167 thousand full-time equivalent of scientific, therapeutic and technical employees in England's National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS). This statistic shows the number of scientific, therapeutic and technical staff in the NHS Hospitals and HCHS in England from 1995 to 2023, as of September of each year.

As of November 2024, the total number of midwives in England's National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) stood at 24.7 thousand, up from the 23.3 thousand reported a year prior. The number of midwives employees generally increased from 2009 to 2024.

In England, the number of specialized scientific, therapeutic and technical (ST&T) staff in the National Health Service (NHS) stood over 53 thousand full-time equivalent employees in November 2023. This statistic shows the total number of specialized ST&T in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023, as of November of each year.

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

As of September 2024, there were a total of 405,631 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses, midwives, and ambulance staff in NHS Hospitals and Community Health Service (HCHS) in England.

*** 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.

In England, the number of central functions support staff in the National Health Service (NHS) overall increased from 2009 to 2023. In November 2023, it reached over 112 thousand full-time equivalent employees, the highest number recorded during this period. This statistic shows the number of central functions support staff in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023, as of November of each year.

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 England, the number of estates and property support staff in the National Health Service (NHS) fluctuated from 2009 to 2023, reaching an all-time high of 61,514 full-time equivalent employees as of November 2023. This statistic shows the number of hotel, property and estates support staff for infrastructure support in the NHS Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023, as of November, of each year.

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.

Assignment count and Full-time equivalent of directly employed NHS staff by grade and area of work. General Medical and Dental Practitioners are excluded as they are independent NHS contractors.

In England, the number of ambulance personnel and trainees generally increased from 2009 to 2023, reaching over 20 thousand full-time equivalent employees in November of the latest year, the highest number recorded so far. The considerable increase from 2018 to 2019 is attributed to changes in methodology. This statistic shows the total number of ambulance personnel and trainees in the National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023, as of November of each year.

In England, the number of ambulance support staff in the National Health Service (NHS) increased from 2009 to 2023, reaching over 26 thousand full-time equivalent employees by November of the latest year. This statistic shows the total number of ambulance support staff in the NHS hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce in England from 2009 to 2023, as of November of each year.

The minimum data set (MDS) collection for health visiting (HV) provides the number of full time equivalent (FTE) health visitors employed by all NHS organisations, Local Authorities and Social Enterprises. It collects information from Area Teams (ATs) that employ health visitors but do not use the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), such as local authorities and some social enterprises. Those NHS organisations using ESR have their HV numbers fed directly into the collection.

The MDS collection for HV differs from the monthly workforce statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre as it is solely focused on health visitors and includes those who are employed by non-NHS organisations and those organisations that do not use ESR over and above those NHS organisations included in the standard monthly workforce statistics.

There were some 652 thousand full-time equivalent professionally qualified clinical employees in NHS England as of September 2022. This statistic shows the number of professionally qualified clinical staff in the National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals and Community Health Services (HCHS) in England from 1995 to 2022, as of September of each year.