Our workforce census

Every two years we run a survey of the non-trainee psychiatric workforce in the UK.

The survey provides a detailed analysis of the consultant and specialty doctor workforce in psychiatry across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Our most recent census

Findings from our 2019 census show that:

• the rate of unfilled NHS consultant psychiatrist posts in England has doubled in the last six years
• one in 10 posts are vacant – 568 posts out of a total of 5,730 (9.9%) – up from one in 20 in 2013 (5.2%)
• rates across the UK vary: in Scotland that figure is 9.7%, in Northern Ireland 7.5% and in Wales 12.7%, while across the UK that rate is 9.6%
• there are huge regional variations in psychiatric staffing levels, confirming patients also face a postcode lottery of care
• in eating disorders, the vacancy rate for consultant psychiatric posts is 11% in the East Midlands (Trent), but soars to 17% in the South East and South West and 33% in the East of England
• the census’s findings for children’s mental health services are equally concerning – the vacancy rate in the North West is 15% and in both the East and West Midlands 17%, compared with an average for England of 12%.

Download the pre-report summary

Workforce census results from previous years:

• Census results 2017 (pdf)
• Census results 2015 (pdf)
• Census results 2013 (pdf)
• Census results 2011 (pdf)
• Census results 2009 (pdf)
• Census results 2007 (pdf)
• Census results 2006 (pdf)
• Census results 2005 (pdf)
• Census results 2004 (pdf)

If you would like to know more, please email workforce@rcpsych.ac.uk or call 020 3701 2525.