Psychology Workforce NHSScotland

This release by Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) provides a quarterly update, as at 30 June 2026, on the Psychology Services workforce staff in post, vacant posts and staff in training.

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 June 2026

• There were a total of 1764.8 WTE (2134 headcount) clinical staff in post. This is an increase of 0.9%
  (15.5 WTE) since the previous quarter, an increase of 1.4% (24.1 WTE) from the previous year, and an
  increase of 62% (672.7 WTE) since the previous decade. Of the total staff in post, 4.5% of staff were
  on maternity/paternity leave and 1% were on long-term sick leave.
• Applied Psychologists were the largest staff group in this workforce, accounting for 62.6% (1105
  WTE) of clinical staff in post. Since last year, this staff group has grown by 31.5 WTE (3%). Other
  Clinical Staff, comprising Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology, Psychology Assistants and
  other therapists, accounted for 37.4% (659.8 WTE) of clinical staff in post. Since last year, this staff
  group has decreased by 7.4 WTE (1%).
• There were 89.6% (1581.5 WTE) working in permanent posts, 8.1% (142.6 WTE) working in fixed
  term less than two years posts and 2.3% (40.7 WTE) working in fixed-term more than two years
  posts. This is an increase of 6% (84.4 WTE) for permanent posts and decrease of 25% (60.3 WTE) for
  fixed-term posts since the previous year.
• The vacancy rate was 4.3% (79.0 WTE), an increase in vacant posts of 26.2 WTE over the last year
  and an increase of 0.1% over the last quarter. A further 28.8 WTE vacancies were approved for recruitment but not yet advertised and 61.7 WTE had not yet been approved for recruitment. The
  majority of advertised vacancies, 63.9%, had been advertised for less than three months, 33.0%
  for three to six months, and 3% for longer than six months.