NHS Workforce Hits Record High With 1.27 Million Staff
The NHS is booming with over 1.27 million full-time equivalent staff now working across trusts and commissioning bodies in England. That’s more doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers than ever before.
Doctors and Nurses on the Rise – More GPs and Face-to-Face Care
- 440 more doctors are now working in general practice compared to last year
- Face-to-face GP appointments are climbing steadily
- Government on track to add 50,000 more nurses and 26,000 new primary care staff by 2024
New NHS 123 data reveals a surge in frontline staff numbers helping to clear Covid backlogs, speed up diagnoses, and deliver more appointments to patients.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Today’s figures show clear progress in training and recruiting record numbers of NHS staff. Cutting waiting lists is a top priority, and we are making sure the workforce is in place to deliver. Soon, we will publish a long-term workforce plan to recruit and retrain more staff, while boosting support for primary care.”
Massive Staff Growth Since 2010 and Record GP Training Intake
Compared to February 2022, there are over 5,300 more doctors and 12,300 more nurses on the NHS frontline. Since 2010, the numbers have skyrocketed with 37,800 extra doctors and 53,700 more nurses nationwide.
In March 2023 alone, nearly two million more GP appointments were carried out compared to the previous year—an increase of 83,500 appointments every working day. Last year, a record-breaking 4,032 doctors accepted GP training places, boosting the workforce tackling patient care pressures in general practice.
