Our workforce census

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

The latest workforce census of psychiatric staffing (pdf) was run between April and September 2017, with a 79% return rate from NHS organisations.

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

The next census will take place in 2019.

Findings from the census

Headline statistics:

  • Levels of growth in filled consultant posts are largely static
  • There is an ongoing rise in the reported number of vacant or unfilled consultant posts across the UK, up from 5% (2013), 7% (2015) to 9% (2017)
  • Vacancies in consultant posts are mostly in General, Child and Adolescent, Old Age, and Intellectual Disability psychiatry
  • There’s been a sharp increase in the use of locum specialty doctors, a reflection of the ongoing recruitment difficulties at that grade
  • There is a wide variation in the gender balance across different psychiatric specialities.

We haven’t seen as increase in people retiring because of changes to the retirement package, but it is something will continue to monitor with HEE.

Workforce census results from previous years:

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

Get in contact to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry