Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Active Recruitment Statistics & Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Quarterly Workforce Statistics 31 March 2026
Date published:
The Department of Health today released details of NI Health and Social Care (HSC) vacancies actively being recruited and HSC staff in post as at 31 March 2026.
These statistical publications present analysis of active recruitment vacancies and active staff in post by staff group and HSC organisation and includes trend information.
The NI HSC Workforce publication covers the majority of HSC hospital, community and social services workforce. Bank/sessional staff are excluded, as are members of staff on career breaks, Chairpersons/Members of Boards and those recorded with less than 0.03 WTE. Domiciliary care staff have also been excluded, as their recorded whole-time equivalent currently does not reflect their contribution to the service.
The NI HSC Active Recruitment Statistics publication covers any position that is currently with the recruitment team and being actively recruited to, including those going through pre-employment checks, up to the point of a start date being agreed.
Key Points:
- At 31 March 2026, the HSC workforce stood at 68,341 whole-time equivalent (WTE). This represented an increase of 2.2% (1,476 WTE) from 31 March 2025, and an 8.1% increase (5,093 WTE) since 31 March 2021.
- One third (33.3%) of the HSCNI workforce at 31 March 2026 was in the Nursing & Midwifery occupational family (22,776 WTE). This group comprised 18,612 WTE Registered Nursing & Midwifery staff, an increase of 3.1% (562 WTE) from 31 March 2025, and 4,164 WTE Nursing & Midwifery Support staff, a decrease of 1.3% (55 WTE) from one year ago.
- The Belfast HSC Trust had the largest workforce, with 19,499 WTE at 31 March 2026. This level is 2.4% higher than at 31 March 2025, and 2.3% higher than at 31 March 2021. All regional HSC Trusts reported an increase in WTE staff since 31 March 2021.
- At 31 March 2026, over a third (37.4%) of the HSC workforce were employed at AfC pay bands 6 and above, 32.4% employed at pay bands 1-4, 21.9% employed at pay band 5 and 8.3% employed in non-AfC grades.
- At 31 March 2026, the leaving rate of HSC staff was 6.3% during the prior year. The joining rate of HSC staff at 31 March 2026 was 8.5%.
- At 31 March 2026, there were 6,236 vacancies actively being recruited across HSC in Northern Ireland. This equated to an active recruitment vacancy rate of 7.2%.
- The total number of vacancies under active recruitment at 31 March 2026 (6,236) is 6.6% higher than at 31 March 2025 (5,851) and 8.3% higher than at 31 March 2021 (5,756).
- The highest number of vacancies actively being recruited across HSC was in the Nursing & Midwifery occupational family, with 1,960. This staff group made up 31.4% of all HSC vacancies in recruitment.
- Of the five regional HSC Trusts, the Belfast HSC Trust had the highest number of vacancies actively being recruited (1,733 vacancies). The annual percentage change in vacancies was greatest in the Northern HSC Trust with an increase of 20.9%, followed by Western (13.1%), Belfast (10.5%) and Southern (5.2%). The South Eastern HSC Trust reported a decrease of 5.5%.
Notes to editors:
These publications are available on the Departmental website at:
- HSC Workforce: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/staff-numbers
- HSC Active Recruitment Statistics: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/staff-vacancies
2. Information in the HSC Workforce publication was collected from the Human Resources, Payroll, Travel and Subsistence database which is maintained by the various HSC organisations. The analyses presented exclude bank staff (who fill staffing shortfalls to maintain service delivery) and domiciliary care staff. These staff were excluded because, due to the variable nature of their work, their recorded whole-time equivalent currently does not reflect their contribution to the service. Figures also exclude staff on career breaks, non-Trust staff and Chairpersons/Members of Boards.
3. WTE (Whole Time equivalent) is calculated by aggregating the total number of hours staff in a particular grade are contracted to work and dividing by the standard hours for that grade. In this way, part-time staff are converted into an equivalent number of 'whole-time' staff.
4. Information in the HSC Active Recruitment Statistics publication represents the number of vacancies actively being recruited and does not indicate the whole time equivalent (WTE) for these positions. The data includes both permanent and temporary positions. The figures do not indicate a measure of posts that are unfilled by permanent or fixed-term staff, and do not include posts not actively being recruited to at the specific point in time, including those outside the bounds of the definition e.g. those that have not reached recruitment stage yet.
5. An active recruitment vacancy is any position that is currently with the recruitment team and being actively recruited to. This will include those going through pre-employment checks, up to the point of a start date being agreed. Once a start date has been agreed with both parties (i.e. manager and applicant) this will no longer be classed as a vacancy. Vacancies that are on hold by managers are not included.
6. Further information on the NI HSC Workforce is available from:
Workforce Section
Project Support Analysis Branch
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings
Stormont,
BT4 3SQ
Tel: 028 90 522493
Email: workforce.statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
Internet: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/dhssps-statistics-and-research/workforce-statistics
7. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office by email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk.
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