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NHS · Workforce and capacity · England · July 2026

Are there enough staff, beds and scanners?

The hospital and community workforce has grown 25% since July 2019, to 1.37 million full-time equivalents. General and acute beds have grown 2%. The diagnostic queue has grown fastest of all: 1.83 million people waiting for a test, 25% of them for six weeks or more.

Evidence last reviewed 3 October 2026

Staff

How much has the NHS workforce grown?

Doctors are up 36% and nurses 29% since 2019

Full-time-equivalent staff in NHS trusts and core organisations, England, indexed so that July 2019 = 100.

England · September 2009 to July 2026

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

Index, July 2019 = 100No observations shown100150axis does not start at 0200020102020July 2019125136129
The workforce grew slowly in the early 2010s and much faster after 2019: all staff by 25%, doctors by 36% and nurses by 29%, helped by international recruitment. Whether treatment has risen as fast is the productivity question: NHS England estimates productivity grew about 2.7% in 2024/25 after falling sharply in the pandemic, but more staff working in full buildings, with delayed discharges and old equipment, cannot treat proportionately more patients.

England · September 2009 to July 2026 · UK Facts calculation from official statistics

Sources, definitions and data — Doctors are up 36% and nurses 29% since 2019
Geography:
England
Measure:
Index, July 2019 = 100
Period:
September 2009 to July 2026
Status:
UK Facts calculation from official statistics
Calculation:
UK Facts calculation: each series divided by its July 2019 value × 100.
Compare with:
All staff, July 2019: 1,099,144 FTE
Not included / breaks:
Hospital and community health services only: excludes GP practices and social care. Nurses include health visitors but not midwives.

Source: NHS England (NHS Digital), NHS Workforce Statistics: hospital and community health services. Chart NHS-11.

View the data as a table
MonthAll staffDoctorsNurses
Jul 20101,008,95395,005279,941
Jul 2011992,95596,961277,024
Jul 2012977,633101,688271,212
Jul 2013966,11399,784273,373
Jul 2014986,121102,067277,924
Jul 20151,005,767104,505279,862
Jul 20161,027,898104,752282,708
Jul 20171,046,828107,482281,363
Jul 20181,065,395110,622282,661
Jul 20191,099,144112,797288,405
Jul 20201,166,566120,457301,031
Jul 20211,195,405124,377310,629
Jul 20221,225,470127,890319,328
Jul 20231,292,820134,027336,164
Jul 20241,346,030141,018357,138
Jul 20251,372,429147,829367,911
Jul 20261,369,177153,025371,269

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Beds

England had about 103,338 general and acute beds available on average in the quarter to June 2026, against 101,565 in the same quarter of 2019, and they were 90.9% occupied. Staff numbers have grown far faster than beds, so more staff are working in the same physical space. On an average day about one bed in 8 is taken by a patient who is ready to leave — see patient flow.

Scans and tests

How long do people wait for a scan or test?

25% of people waiting for a key test have waited six weeks or more, against a 1% standard

Share of patients waiting six weeks or more for one of 15 key diagnostic tests (DM01), England, monthly.

England · January 2006 to August 2026

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

Per cent waiting six weeks or moreNo observations shown0%20%40%60%80%2000201020201% standard24.7%
For most of the 2010s, under 4% of people waited six weeks for a test. The share jumped in 2020 and has stayed above a fifth since, while the number waiting has grown from 1.08 million to 1.83 million. Diagnostics sit before treatment, so this queue feeds the waiting list. NHS England’s target is to return to 1% by 2028/29.

England · January 2006 to August 2026 · Official statistics

Sources, definitions and data — 25% of people waiting for a key test have waited six weeks or more, against a 1% standard
Geography:
England
Measure:
Per cent of the diagnostic waiting list
Period:
January 2006 to August 2026
Status:
Official statistics
Calculation:
As published.
Compare with:
February 2020: 2.8% of 1,082,022 waiting
Not included / breaks:
Covers 15 key tests (imaging, physiological measurement, endoscopy), not every test.

Source: NHS England, Diagnostic waiting times and activity (DM01). Chart NHS-12.

View the data as a table
MonthSix weeks or more (%)Waiting
Aug 200647.7779,101
Aug 200728.6608,522
Aug 20082.5412,837
Aug 20090.9466,790
Aug 20101.1520,470
Aug 20112.0560,347
Aug 20121.1624,057
Aug 20131.1660,340
Aug 20141.9737,930
Aug 20152.2805,498
Aug 20161.7840,942
Aug 20172.2875,076
Aug 20183.1932,779
Aug 20194.3997,416
Aug 202038.01,241,753
Aug 202127.11,361,184
Aug 202230.51,528,520
Aug 202327.51,564,070
Aug 202423.91,562,141
Aug 202524.01,677,909
Aug 202624.71,827,219

Buildings and equipment

The cost of clearing the NHS maintenance backlog in England reached about £15.9 billion in 2024/25, of which about £3.5 billion was classed as high risk. Old buildings, too few scanners and slow IT limit what extra staff can do. How capital has been squeezed is covered in funding.

Sources and methods (4)

Method notes

  • Staff are full-time equivalents in NHS trusts and core organisations (hospital and community health services), excluding GP practices.
  • Staff indices are UK Facts calculations rebased to July 2019.