Record Number of NHS Nurses and Midwives

A new report reveals that the number of nurses and midwives working in the NHS has reached an all-time high.

NHS England’s data from November shows that there are now almost 372,411 nurses and midwives employed in the NHS in England. This figure marks the highest ever recorded and represents an increase of over 20,000 compared to the previous year.

Specifically, the number of midwives has increased by more than 1,100 from last year, reaching a new high of 23,396.

This unprecedented growth in the NHS workforce has been driven by the introduction of new entry routes into nursing and midwifery, alongside expanded international recruitment and retention initiatives. Targeted efforts to bolster the midwifery workforce included NHS England’s funding for retention programs in every maternity unit in England and an additional in-year investment of up to £4 million to accelerate the number of Professional Midwifery and Nurse Advocates.

The increase in the NHS workforce is also reflected in the rise of healthcare support workers, with 8,000 more people in these roles as of September 2023 compared to the same month the previous year. This increase followed a national recruitment drive aimed at growing the healthcare support worker workforce.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which was published recently, aims to nearly double the number of medical and adult nursing training places by 2031. Additional recruitment, new retention measures, and reforms could result in the NHS having at least an extra 60,000 doctors, 170,000 more nurses, and 71,000 additional allied health professionals by 2036/37.

Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, stated:

“Nurses, midwives, nursing associates, and support workers are essential to our NHS workforce, providing crucial treatment and care to patients and communities. Today’s figures showing growth in these roles across the NHS are encouraging. However, we still have work to do, which is why it is vital we continue to build our workforce as outlined in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. This includes increasing the number of future nurses and midwives in training and improving retention by enhancing the experiences of our hardworking colleagues.”

Health Minister Andrew Stephenson added:

“It’s fantastic that there are over 370,000 nurses and midwives caring for patients in the NHS – 21,000 more than last year – along with a record 139,000 doctors. Our brilliant NHS staff are central to our plan to make healthcare faster, simpler, and fairer for patients. Through the NHS’s Long Term Workforce Plan, we will continue to build on this progress and aim to double the number of adult nurse training and medical school places by 2031.”

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, commented:

“With 1,000 more midwives in our workforce than a year ago, the results of this data show promising progress and are a welcome boost for our maternity and neonatal services. While this is positive news, it is essential to continue building on this progress, aligning with the ambitions in both the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and our Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services.”

Professor Mark Radford, Director of Education and Training at NHS England, said:

“We are pleased to see the growth within the nursing, midwifery, and support staff workforce. We will build on this as we work towards achieving the Long Term Workforce Plan’s commitment to train and retain more nurses and midwives. Highlighting the opportunities a career in nursing or midwifery offers will be crucial to the success of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. The NHS is expanding various entry routes, such as the nurse degree apprenticeship, to ensure that a career in nursing is accessible to as many people as possible.”

For more information on NHS workforce statistics, visit NHS Digital.