Frequently Asked NHS Questions
We answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the NHS. Unless dated otherwise, the below statistics are accurate as of November 2016.
How much does the NHS spend each year?
The estimated expenditure for the NHS in the 2016/2017 financial year is £120.611 billion.
How much is the NHS budget going to increase?
The NHS budget is expected to increase from £117.229 billion in the 2015/2016 financial year to £120.151 billion by 2019/2020.
How much did the NHS overspend in 2015/2016?
There was a £1.851 billion deficit in the 2015/2016 financial year. However is is lowered slightly as £599 million was underspeant by commissioners.
How many clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are there in England?
There are currently around 209 CCGs in England
How many acute non-specialist trusts are there in England?
As of 2016, there are 137 acute non-specialist trusts in England, this includes 85 foundation trusts.
How many mental health trusts are there in England?
Data from 2016 shows that there are 55 mental health trusts in England, this includes 54 foundation trusts.
How many GP Practices are there in England?
As of the latest data, there are currently 7.674 GP Practices in England
How many doctors work in the NHS?
In 2015 there were 149,808 doctors working in the NHS
How many nurses work in the NHS?
There are 314,966 nurses working in the NHS
How many midwives work in the NHS?
In 2015 there were 25,418 midwives working in the NHS
How many managers does the NHS have?
There are around 30,952 managers working in the NHS
How many doctors join the NHS each year?
Based on 2014 data, around 32,000 new doctors are employed by the NHS each year.
How many nurses join the NHS each year?
In 2014, 18,432 joined the NHS, on average that figure increases by 0.5% each year.
How many GPs join the NHS each year?
Around 5,700 GPs were employed by the NHS in 2014.
How many students attend medical school each year?
In 2012/2013, 6,262 students started medical school, that has risen from 3,749 in 1997/1998, a 67% increase.
What percentage of NHS staff are in management?
Managers and senior managers accounted for 2.35% of the 1.318 million staff employed across the NHS in 2015.
Is the NHS spending less on management?
Between 1997/1998 and 2008/2009, the cost of management fell from 5% of the total budget, to 3%.
How does the NHS compare to healthcare systems in other countries?
In 2014, the Commonwealth Fund found the NHS to be the most impressive overall. The countries included in the survey were Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.
In what categories does the NHS excel?
The Commonwealth Fund's 2014 survey rated the NHS best in terms of efficiency, effective care, safe care, coordinated care, patient-centred care and cost-related problems, it was also second for equality.
In what category does the NHS perform poorly?
The NHS was ranked 10th out of 10 for 'healthy lives' in the 2014 Commonwealth Fund survey.
What percentage of the UK GDP goes towards the NHS budget?
Health expenditure in the UK was 9.78% of GDP in 2015.
How does the percentage of GDP spend on healthcare compare to other countries?
The UK spends 9.78% of its GDP on healthcare, this compares to 16.91% in the USA, 11.08% in Germany, 11.08% in France, 10.76% in the Netherlands, 10.59% in Denmark, 10.16% in Canada, 9.05% in Italy and 9% and 9% in Spain.
What percentage of the UK GDP goes towards the NHS budget?
Health expenditure in the UK was 9.78% of GDP in 2015.
How much does the UK spend on healthcare per-capita compared to other countries?
A total of $4,015 was spent per person in the UK, in 2015. This compares to $9,451 in the USA, $5,343 in the Netherlands, $5,267 in Germany, $4,943 in Denmark, $4,614 in Canada, $4,415 in France, $3,272 in Italy and $3,153 in Spain.
How many hospital beds per person does the UK have?
There are 2.7 hospital beds per 1,000 in the UK (2014).
How does the number of hospital beds in the UK, per person, compare with the rest of the world?
The UK has 2.7 hospital beds per 1,000 people, this compares with 8.2 in Germany, 6.2 in France, 3 in Spain, 2.8 in New Zealand and 2.7 in Denmark.
How long do UK patients stay in hospital compared to other countries?
For all causes, the average hospital stay in the UK was 6.9 days (2014). This compares to 16.9 in Japan, 9 in Germany, 7.8 in Italy, 7.6 in New Zealand, 6.6 in Spain and 5.6 in France.
Content provided by NHS Confederation