Provisional monthly NHS workforce data for England published for the first time

Provisional monthly figures for headcount, full time equivalent, role count and turnover of NHS staff groups working in England (excluding primary care staff) are published today for the first time by The NHS Information Centre.

The data, which will now be published every month, covers the period from 30 September 2009 - the date used as a reference point for the latest annual workforce census - to 30 April 2010. It provisionally shows that for the NHS workforce (excluding primary care staff) in England overall:

  • The headcount was 1,216,149 in April 2010. This is 3,351 (0.3 per cent) less than the previous month (1,219,500) but 11,559 (1.0 per cent) more than in September 2009 (1,204,590).
  • The full time equivalent total was 1,076,935 in April 2010. This is 3,152 (0.3 per cent) less than the previous month (1,080,087) but 12,104 (1.1 per cent) more than in September 2009 (1,064,831).
  • The role count was 1,241,341 in April 2010. This is 3,996 (0.3 per cent) less than the previous month (1,245,337) but 11,140 (0.9 per cent) more than in September 2009 (1,230,201).
  • Between September 2009 and April 2010 there were 49,534 (4.3per cent) leavers and 61,706 (5.3 per cent) joiners to the NHS in England.

The full set of data tables can be accessed at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce

ENDS

Note to editors

  1. The NHS Information Centre (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
  2. This is the first publication of a new monthly series of the Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics using data from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). The figures do not include data for GPs and practice staff.
  3. These figures are presented as an experimental series and are not directly comparable with previous NHS workforce data from the NHS IC. The major differences are that; the headcount figures for non medical staff are a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers, whilst the introduction of a role count presents a better understanding of the multiple roles that staff are filling; bank staff are excluded as are other staff groups not available from ESR (e.g. some trainee doctors previously provided by deaneries); validation processes have changed and are described in full at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce ;total doctor numbers now include the contribution of locum doctors. The NHS IC welcomes feedback on the methodology and tables within this publication. More information on data quality and differences between the Census publication and this can be accessed with the publication at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce
  4. All data are provisional. No refreshes of the provisional data will take place as part of the regular publication process, however the provisional stamp allows for this to occur if it is determined that a refresh of data is required subsequent to initial release. Where a refresh of data occurs, it will be clearly documented in the publications.
  5. Headcount refers to the total number of staff in either part time or full time employment within an organisation and/or area of work. Subtotals such as SHA totals or areas of work totals are unlikely to add up to match the national figures because at a national level figures would only include a count of each individual once. However its possible for that individual to be working in two part time roles in more than one SHA and/or area of work. In these cases they would appear once in each SHA and/or area of work.
  6. FTE is the full time equivalent and is based on the proportion of time staff work in a role. FTE is limited to a maximum of 1.28 FTE as a validation to ensure that staff are not contracted for hours over those set by the European Working Time Directive. However this will limit the hours of some staff that have opted out of this limitation and are contracted to work in excess of 48 hours each week.
  7. Role count is the total count of specific roles within an organisation and some people may have multiple roles either within or across organisations. This is determined by the unique assignment number given to individuals and each of their roles within ESR. e.g. A Consultant may work part of their time in one clinical specialty role and part of their time in another clinical specialty role that could be in either the same or a different organisation. In this case one consultant will be undertaking 2 roles.
  8. Turnover includes statistics on joiners to and leavers from the NHS in England within a specific time period based on headcount. Trainee and locum doctors, bank staff and primary care staff are not included in the calculation. Staff movement within the NHS is not included.
  9. Movements of staff to and from the 2 non-ESR Foundation Trusts and non-ESR NHS Primary Care organisations (e.g. GP Practices and Dentists) are treated as being outside the NHS for the calculation of turnover in this publication.
  10. Where an entire organisation becomes a non-NHS body the staff are not included in the leaver numbers for turnover. For example NHS Professionals was reclassified as a non-NHS body from the 1st April 2010. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/uksi_20100425_en_1
  11. Bank staff are not included in this publication.
  12. It should be noted that these figures relate to just eight months of the year, and workforce numbers may be subject to seasonal variation. The intention is to publish monthly until a 25 month time series is established and then continue with a rolling 2 year series. This will enable proper judgement of seasonal effects if any.
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