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Publication, Part of

NHS Workforce Statistics - August 2025 (Including selected preliminary statistics for September 2025)

Official statistics

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NHS Workforce Statistics - August 2025 (Including selected preliminary statistics for September 2025)


Following the successful production of data 8 weeks after period end (instead of the current 12 weeks after period end), we will be moving to a single set of data files produced via new data processing methods. This November publication is the last to contain a set of dual outputs, and from January, outputs will be in the format of the files currently labelled as ‘Preliminary’. 

The next publication on 8 January 2026 will include data for both 12 and 8 weeks after period end, in the new format, to allow the adoption of a new publication timetable. Therefore, both the September 2025 and October 2025 data months will be released on this date and will no longer be labelled as 'Preliminary'. 

From 29 January 2026 onwards (November 2025 data month) a single set of data files will be published each month, 8 weeks after period end. 

27 November 2025 09:30 AM

Summary

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 are also available via the Related Links below.

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 [email protected] or 0300 303 5678.


Key Facts

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

is a standardised measure of the workload of an employed person and allows for the total workforce workload to be expressed in an equivalent number of full-time staff. 1.0 FTE equates to full-time work of 37.5 hours per week, an FTE of 0.5 would equate to 18.75 hours per week.

All NHS Hospital & Community Health Service (HCHS) staff

1,374,032 FTE in August 2025. This is 1.9% (25,448) more than in August 2024.

1,540,370 Headcount in August 2025. This is 1.9% (28,647) more than in August 2024.

Professionally qualified clinical staff*

Professionally qualified clinical staff make up over half (54.2%) of the FTE HCHS workforce.

745,304 FTE in August 2025. This is 3.8% (27,025) more than in August 2024.

 

825,443 Headcount in August 2025. This is 3.8% (30,080) more than in August 2024. 

 

* This group includes all HCHS doctors, qualified nurses and health visitors, midwives, qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff and qualified ambulance staff.

September 2025 Preliminary Statistics

This August 2025 publication includes a Preliminary release of a section of the monthly NHS Workforce Statistics publication for September 2025. This contains headline counts at national level of NHS staff numbers for the main staff groups and a detailed view of the Nurses staff group.


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Last edited: 27 November 2025 9:31 am