Finding out about health | National Careers Service

The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:

• National Health Service (NHS)
• Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
• Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)

The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:

• primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
• secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)

NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).

The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.

Key facts:

• The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
• It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
  • over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
  • over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
  • almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
• 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
• The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.

There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.

National and regional data

High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:

• London
• South East
• North West

• The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
• The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
• The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
• London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
• Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
• The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
• The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
• The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
• The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
• The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
• Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
• Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
• The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
• Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
• Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

• The health sector employs 61,300 people.
• Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
• 81% of the workforce is female.
• 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
• 96% of the workforce is white.
• 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
• 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
• 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.

• The health sector employs 201,500 people.
• Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
• 78% of the workforce is female.
• 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
• 95% of the workforce is white.
• 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
• 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
• 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.

• The health sector employs 114,900 people.
• Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
• 74% of the workforce is female.
• 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
• 94% of the workforce is white.
• 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
• 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
• 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.

[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]

Career paths

• Our Job Profiles
• Find out how responsibility and roles differ within the various different levels of the Public Health Skills and Careers Framework

Further sources

• Skills for Health
• NHS Careers
• Careers in healthcare ‐ A guide to working in voluntary organisations
• NHS Employers

NHS Careers has sections on:

• Allied health professions
• Ambulance service team
• Dental team
• Doctors
• Health informatics
• Healthcare science
• How the NHS Works
• Management
• Midwifery
• Nursing
• The wider healthcare team