NHS Digital Workforce statistics: December 2025

On Thursday 8 January 2026, NHS Digital published their monthly data releases on NHS Workforce statistics (October 2025), NHS Sickness absence rates (September 2025) and NHS staff earnings estimates (12 month period from October 2024 to October 2025). 

Key points

• Workforce: The total NHS workforce stood at 1.38 million in October 2025, 1.1% more than in October 2024. This compares with a 3.3% rise between October 2023 and October 2024, indicating that workforce growth has slowed over the past year.
  
  
• Sickness absence rate: The NHS sickness absence rate was 5.3% in September 2025, slightly higher than September 2024 (5%).
  
  
• Staff earnings estimates: The mean annual basic pay per FTE in the 12 month period to October 2025 was £42,820, up by 7% on October 2024. For senior managers, it was £98,450, an increase of 6.2% since last year.

Workforce statistics (October 2025)

• The total FTE workforce was 1.38 million in October 2025, up by 1.1% compared to last year. This compares with a 3.3% rise between October 2023 and October 2024. The chart below shows that since the start of 2025 workforce numbers have plateaued at around 1.37 million. 
  
  
• There were 153,570 FTE HCHS doctors in October, a 4.4% increase compared to last year.
  
  
• There were 371,490 FTE nurses and health visitors in October 2025, which is a 1.9% rise on last year.

Figure 1
Number of NHS England Hospital and Community Health Service Staff (FTE), Nov 2018 to October 2025

Sickness absence rates (September 2025)

• The sickness absence rate was 5.3% in September 2025, slightly higher than September 2024 (5%).
  
  
• The North West region reported the highest sickness absence rate in September 2025 at 6.1%. The South East of England reported the lowest sickness absence rate in September 2025 at 4.7%.
  
  
• Ambulance trusts continue to report the highest sickness absence rate at 6.7% in September 2025.
  
  
• Anxiety/stress/depression/other psychiatric illnesses were the most reported reasons for sickness, accounting for over 672,500 full time equivalent days lost and 29% of all sickness absence in September 2025.

Figure 2
Sickness absence rate (%), Dec 2011 to September 2025

Staff earnings estimates (October 2025)

• In the 12-month period to October 2025, the mean annual basic pay per FTE was £42,815 – 7% more than in October 2024.
• The mean annual basic pay per FTE varied by staff group:
  • For doctors, it was £90,180. This is 11% higher than a year ago.
    
    
  • For nurses and health visitors it was £41,940. This is 5.2% higher than a year ago.
    
    
  • For senior managers, it was £98,450, an increase of 6.2% since last year.
    
    
  • For managers, it was £66,360, increasing by 7.2% since October 2024.