NHSScotland Workforce Information
Nursing and midwifery
This section provides information on the nursing and midwifery workforce in NHSScotland. The figures are sourced from Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS) and describe the numbers of staff assimilated to the Agenda for Change nursing and midwifery job family. Those staff not yet assimilated but where a nursing and midwifery staff group has been identified from their existing payscale are also presented. It is worth noting that if Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) have been assimilated to nursing job profiles under Agenda for Change they will be shown in this staff group.
This is the first time nursing and midwifery staff have been presented by the new Agenda for Change job families, sub job families and bands. The nursing and midwifery workforce is presented by location of service delivery and by field or patient group served, based on post descriptors. There is also a fuller breakdown for nurses working in the community. Information is available by band, age group, gender, contract type, NHS Board and region.
Throughout, information is presented as headcount or whole time equivalent (WTE). WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.
Information available includes;
Nursing and midwifery is the largest staff group (headcount) in NHSScotland accounting for 41.3%.
The chart below shows the nursing and midwifery staff in NHSScotland by Agenda for Change bands (WTE) at 30th September 2007. The highest band is band 5 at 39.2%.
Staff in post
Latest data available 30th September 2007 - last updated 29th January 2008.
The number of nursing and midwifery staff in post at 30th September 2007 is 57,050.4 (WTE) an increase of 266.5 (0.5%) from 30th September 2006. The corresponding headcount showed an increase of 0.4% from 67,099 at 30th September 2006 to 67,345 in 30th September 2007.
- Nursing and midwifery staff in post
[1,124Kb] - Nursing and midwifery staff in post - trend - only available at high level [228Kb]
Vacancies
Latest data available 30th September 2007 - last updated 29th January 2008.
The number of nursing and midwifery vacancies increased from 1,671.8 (2.8%) on 31st March 2007 to 2,072.9 (3.5%) on 30th September 2007.
- Nursing and midwifery vacancies [734Kb]
Students
The number of nursing and midwifery student intake decreased from 3,592 in 2005/06 to 3,391 in 2006/07. The number of students on conversion courses decreased from 201 in 2005/06 to 134 in 2006/07. The number of nursing and midwifery students in Scottish Higher Education Institutions is also at an all time high with 9,909 students in initial entrant (pre-registration) training in 2006 compared with 9,726 in 2005. The attrition rate for students on diploma courses is 26.4% for 2002/03.
- Student intakes and students in training by trend - Last updated 29th January 2008
[38Kb] - Student attrition rates on diploma courses - Last updated 29th January 2008 [335Kb]
Agency nurse usage
Latest data available 31st March 2007 - last updated 31st July 2007.
The use of agency nursing and midwifery staff increased by 7.4% from 678.1 average WTE for the year ending 31st March 2006 to 728.2 average WTE for the year ending 31st March 2007. Over this period a decrease of 194 average WTE (43.5%) can be seen in the use of registered agency nursing and midwifery staff. The cost of employing agency nursing and midwifery staff decreased by 8 million (30.5%) over the same period.
- Agency nurse usage by NHS Board - Hours and WTE Trend [106Kb]
- Agency nurse usage by NHS Board and specialty - Hours, WTE and Costs [878Kb]
- Agency nurse usage by NHS Board and grade - Hours, WTE and Costs [454Kb]
- Agency nurse usage by specialty and grade - Hours, WTE and Costs [123Kb]
Bank nurse usage
Latest data available 2006/2007 - last updated 26th June 2007.
The use of bank nursing and midwifery staff increased by 25.8% from 2797.1 average WTE for the year ending 31st March 2006 to 3519.0 average WTE for the year ending 31st March 2007. The cost of employing these staff rose by 13.7% from 69.1 million to 78.5 million over the same period.
Clinical nurse specialists
Latest data available 30th September 2007 - last updated 29th January 2008.
A clinical nurse specialist is a registered nursing professional who has acquired additional knowledge, skills and experience, together with a professionally and/or academically accredited post-registration qualification (if available) in a clinical specialty. They practice at an advanced level and may have sole responsibility for care episode or defined client/group.
The number of clinical nurse specialists at 30th September 2007 is 1,344.8 (WTE) which is similar to last year. The number of clinical nurse specialists vacancies at 30th September 2007 is 45.0 (WTE).
- Clinical nurse specialists staff in post [1,049Kb]
- Clinical nurse specialists vacancies [261Kb]
List of historic (pre agenda for change) tables - information presented by old whitley staff groups.
Workforce Information
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