Headcount census shows slight increase in NHS workforce
The number of people working for the NHS in England has increased slightly, Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) figures show.
Over 1.36 million people were working for the NHS in England at 30 September 2013 an increase of 0.4 per cent (5,870) on 2012. This constitutes an increase of 12.5 per cent (151,580) since 2003, according to today’s annual census report.
The census report provides a snapshot of staff working in hospital, community, general and personal medical services. It allows for year-on-year comparisons and also includes the annual summary of the GP workforce.
Today’s figures show that GPs number 40,240, a decrease of 0.1 per cent (29) since 2012 and an increase of 19.9 per cent (6,670) since 2003.
There are 20,440 females within the GP workforce, an increase of 2.9 per cent (570) since 2012. This is the first year the number of female GPs has been greater than their male counterparts. Male GP headcount is 19,800, a decrease of 2.9 per cent (599) since 2012.
There has been an increase of 50.9 per cent (6,890) female GPs since 2003, whereas male GP numbers have decreased by 1.1 per cent (218).
Today’s figures show that, at 30 September 2013:
The number of professionally qualified clinical staff stood at 692,160 its highest level across the decade, a rise of 16.1 per cent (95,920) on 2003.
Of this group:
• There were 54,580 hospital doctors in training, an increase of 2.4 per cent (1,260) on 2012 and an increase of 46.2 per cent (17,260) on 2003.
• Consultant numbers stood at 41,220, an increase of 2.0 per cent (826) on 2012 and an increase of 43.4 per cent (12,470) on 2003.
• Qualified nurses stood at 347,940, a 0.4 per cent (1,530) increase on 2012 and a 6.5 per cent (21,370) increase on 2003, of which there were 25,910 midwives, a 1 per cent (256) increase on 2012 a 16.4 per cent (3,650) increase on 2003.
There were 1.08 million NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) non medical staff. This area covers staff working within the NHS (excluding doctors and staff working with GP practices). The census report shows an increase of 0.3 per cent (3,390) on 2012 and an increase of 8.7 per cent (85,900) on 2003.
• Clinical support staff stood at 349,000, a 1.5 per cent (5,070) increase on 2012, a 6.6 per cent (21,540) increase on 2003.
• NHS infrastructure support staff stood at 211,190, a 1.8 per cent (3,890) decrease on 2012, a 5.7 per cent (11,380) increase on 2003. Of this group, managers and senior managers stood at 36,360, a decrease of 2.6 per cent (954) on 2012, but an increase of 2.9 per cent (1,040) on 2003.
Health and Social Care Information Centre chair Kingsley Manning said: “The annual census gives us the opportunity to study the changes within the NHS workforce, one of the largest of its kind in the world.
“Today’s figures show an overall rise in staff numbers across the whole NHS, with increases for doctors, nurses and a slight decline in management figures.
“There has also been a rise in professionally qualified clinical staff numbers which now stands at 692,160, the highest they have been within the last ten years.”
The NHS annual workforce census report and provisional monthly figures are available at: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/nhsworkstatov
More recent monthly data for HCHS staff numbers plus NHS staff earnings and sickness absence data are available at:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/nhsworkstatdec13
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/staffearndec13prov
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/sickabsratenov13
