Psychology Workforce NHSScotland

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 31 December 2019, for the Psychology Services workforce staff in post and staff vacancies.

Figures are presented as headcount (actual numbers of staff) and whole time equivalent (WTE), which adjusts the figures to take account of part-time working.

As at 31 December 2019:

• Within Psychology Services in NHSScotland there were a total of 1,214.4 WTE (1,477 headcount) clinical staff in post. This is 91.4% (580.0 WTE) higher than in September 2006, 4.6% (53.7 WTE) higher than reported 12 months previously, and 3.3% (38.3 WTE) higher than the September 2019 census. Out of an establishment of 1,360.0 WTE, 145.6 WTE posts were vacant, 71.9 WTE staff were on maternity/parental leave and 11.4 WTE staff were on long-term sick leave.
• There has been a consistent increase in the number of staff working part time 113.6% (425 head count,295.9WTE) compared to staff working whole time 7.8% (49 head count, 57.3 WTE) since March 2011. The number of female staff working in part time positions has increased by 127.4%(414 head count) and full time positions increased by 8.7% (42 head count) compared to March 2011 census.
• There are currently 145.6 WTE vacancies being advertised for recruitment, of which 89.0 WTE (61.1%) are for Clinical Psychology positions. The number of replacement posts (86.2 WTE,59.2%) account for majority of the vacancies advertised. The current vacancy rate of 10.7% is the highest observed in NHSScotland Psychology Services for all December census vacancies since data collection began.