Psychology Workforce NHSScotland

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 31 March 2025, on the Psychology Services workforce staff in post, vacant posts and trainees.

Figures are presented as headcount (actual number of staff) and whole time equivalent (WTE), which adjusts the figures to take account of part-time working.

At 31 March 2025:

• There were a total of 1727.5 WTE (2079 headcount) clinical staff in post. This is an increase of 0.1% (1.5 WTE) since the previous quarter, an increase of 0.6% (10.3 WTE) since the previous year, and an increase of 61.8% (660.1 WTE) since the previous decade. Of the total staff in post, 3.7% were on maternity/paternity leave and 1% were on long-term sick leave.
• Applied Psychologists were the largest staff group in this workforce, accounting for 62.4% (1078.0 WTE) of clinical staff in post. Since last year, this staff group has grown by 44.4 WTE (4.3%). Other Clinical Staff, comprising Clinical Associates in Applied Psychology, Psychology Assistants and other therapists, accounted for 37.6% (649.6 WTE) of clinical staff in post. Since last year, this staff group has decreased by -34.0 WTE (-5.0%).
• The vacancy rate was 2.4% (42.0 WTE), a decrease of -96.9 WTE over the last year and of -16.1 over the last quarter. A further 36.2 WTE vacancies were approved for recruitment but not yet advertised and 58.8 WTE had not yet been approved for recruitment. The majority of advertised vacancies, 76.9%, had been advertised for less than three months, 11.2% for three to six months, and 11.9% for longer than six months.
• There were 84 Psychology doctoral trainees at the latest intake in September 2024, 39 at the University of Glasgow and 45 at the University of Edinburgh. This compares with an average DClinPsych intake of 61 trainees per year, 36 at the University of Edinburgh and 25 at the University of Glasgow. 62 students graduated from the clinical doctorate in 2024, 19 from the University of Glasgow and 43 from the University of Edinburgh. The probabilities of completing these courses (within ten years of starting) are 0.95 and 0.96 respectively.
• 49 trainees enrolled onto the MSc Psychological Therapy in Primary Care (MSCPTPC) in January 2025 and 36 trainees enrolled onto the MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People (MSCAPCYP). This compares with an average annual intake of 29 for the MSCPTPC and 23 for the MSCAPCYP. In early 2025, 43 students graduated from the MSCPTPC, and 33 graduated from the MSCAPCYP. The probabilities of completing these courses within two years of starting are 0.96 and 0.97 respectively.