Workforce

Statistical Publication Notice

16 December 2008

NHSScotland Workforce Statistics

INTRODUCTION

KEY POINTS

• The number of staff employed in NHSScotland as at 30th September 2008 is 165,551 (headcount), an increase of 3,412 (2.1%) from 30th September 2007.
• Nursing & Midwifery staff accounted for 40.9% of all staff (headcount) employed in NHSScotland.  The number of Nursing & Midwifery staff in post (headcount) as at 30th September 2008 is 67,965, an increase of 620 (0.9%) from 30th September 2007.
• The number of medical staff in post (including GPs) as at 30th September 2008 is 16,195 (headcount) compared to 15,469 (headcount) as at 30th September 2007.
• The number of dental staff in post (including dental support) as at 30th September 2008 is 4,590 (headcount) an increase of 597 (15.0%) from 30th September 2007.
• The number of Allied Health Profession staff in post (headcount) as at 30th September 2008 is 11,342, an increase of 361 (3.3%) from 30th September 2007.

Overall NHSScotland workforce summary by staff grouping as at 30th September 2008

INTERPRETATION

• The tables present figures in both Headcount numbers and Whole Time Equivalents (WTE).  WTE adjust headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.  Information on WTE for GPs and GDS is not available, so figures that include GPs and GDS are in headcount only.  For all other staff groups, WTE information is available.
• An employee may hold more than one appointment in NHSScotland. Their appointments may be in more than one NHS organisation, in more than one region, in more than one specialty, or in more than one grade and will therefore be double counted in some tables.
• During July 2008 Medical and Dental information was migrated from the MEDMAN web based system to the Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS).  This alignment provided the opportunity to capture all NHSScotland staff in post information in the one system, which has resulted in more robust information being captured and reported.

DETAILED FINDINGS

• As at 30 September 2008, 40.9% of all staff (headcount) in NHSScotland were employed in the nursing and midwifery staff group.
• The number of nursing and midwifery staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 57,749.6 (WTE), an increase of 699.2 (1.2%) from 30th September 2007. The corresponding headcount showed an increase of 0.9% from 67,345 as at 30th September 2007 to 67,965 as at 30th September 2008.
• The nursing and midwifery vacancy rate as at 30th September 2008 is 2.5%.

• Whilst trend information is not directly comparable due to improved recording following the migration to SWISS, the number of HCHS medical and dental staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 12,534, compared to 11,823 as at 30th September 2007.
• As at 30th September 2008, there were 4,916 doctors (including registrars) employed as General medical practitioners (GPs), 195 (4.1%) more than as at 30 September 2007.
• As at 30th September 2008, there were 2,703 dentists in the General Dental Service, 157 (6.2%) more than as at 30 September 2007.
• The number of consultants in post was 4,581 as at 30th September 2008 compared to 4,035 as at 30th September 2007.  The number of consultant vacancies was192 as at 30th September 2008 compared to 290 as at 30 September 2007. 
• The consultant vacancy rate is 4.0%, compared with 6.7% as at 30 September 2007.

• The number of allied health professions staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 9,242.8, an increase of 291.3 (3.3%) from 30th September 2007.
  The allied health profession vacancy rate as at 30th September 2008 is 3.9%.
• The number of administrative services staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 24,966.1, an increase of 229.4 (0.9%) from 30th September 2007.
• The number of support services staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 14,367.9, an increase of 406.0 (2.9%) from 30th September 2007.
• The number of emergency services staff in post as at 30th September 2008 is 3,557.7, an increase of 27.9 (0.8%) from 30th September 2007.
• As at 30th September 2008 NHSScotland employed 692.4 Personal and social care staff, 5,158.4 Healthcare science staff and 3,135.1 Other therapeutic staff (which includes Clinical psychology and counseling, Genetic counseling, Optometry, Pharmacy and Play specialists).

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Medical & Dental staff
Bill Ramsay
Senior Information Analyst
0131 275 7568
william.ramsay@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Nursing and all other staff
Michael Anderson
Information Analyst
0131 275 6021
michael.anderson@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: 24/06/2008
Next Due: June 2009 (full release annually in December. Selected information on a 6 monthly basis).
Data Avaliable Since: Paper publications since 1970s, web publications since 1996

Main contact: Bill Ramsay

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