Psychology Workforce NHSScotland

Planned Revision to data as at 30th September 2023

These statistics contain new data; the first release of data for quarter September 2023 has been revised. This revision does not affect the overall interpretation or conclusions to be drawn from the previously published data, but due to a more complete submission of data for quarter September 2023, the WTE for NHSScotland staff in post is 1607.8 (1923 headcount), and not 1580.0 (1891 headcount) as previously reported. The data affected are marked with an 'R'.

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 31 December 2023, on NHSScotland Psychology Services workforce staff in post and vacant posts. 

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

As at 31 December 2023:

• There were a total of 1641.3 WTE (1965 headcount)* clinical staff in post. This is 55.0% (582.6 WTE) higher than in September 2016, 8.6% (130 WTE) higher than reported 12 months previously, and 2.1% (33.5 WTE) higher than the previous quarter.
• There were a total of 969.5 WTE (1201 headcount) Applied Psychologists in post. This is an increase of 2% (18.6 WTE) from 31 December 2022 and an increase of 0.2% (2 WTE) from 30 September 2023.
• Over the past 12 months, the number of female staff has increased by 84 headcount (5.4%). Female staff currently contribute 1341.1 WTE (83.8%) of the total 1600.3 WTE within NHSScotland Psychology Services.
• Overall, 52.2% of posts were part-time at the latest census (by headcount). However, patterns of whole-time and part-time working vary according to gender: 55.9% of contracts for female staff were part-time, compared to 31.6% of contracts for male staff.
• There were 161.9 WTE advertised vacancies, which is -20.9% (-42.7 WTE) lower than 31 December 2022 and 5.4% (8.3 WTE) higher than 30 September 2023. Of these vacancies, 50.3% (81.4 WTE) had been advertised for less than three months, 32.4% (52.5 WTE) for three to six months and 17.3% (28 WTE) for longer than six months. The vacancy rate was 9.2%, compared to 8.7% at 30 September 2023 and 11.9% at 31 December 2022.

* Due to an administrative error in NHS Grampian, 41.0 WTE, 43 headcount, were not included in the data returns. The overall total is 1600.3 WTE (1922 headcount) excluding the non-returned data.