This page shows workforce levels and healthcare activity at Mersey And West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust across different staff groups and care settings. Workforce is measured as full-time equivalent (FTE) to account for part-time working. We compare current levels against different baseline years to show growth and changes over time.
Includes staff on an AfC band who are in non clinical support roles. Staff would not normally have significant patient contact and will include management and central functions (HR, finance) roles and hotel, property and estates staff.
The total of all presented staff groups
When we combine activity categories, we weight them to avoid more frequent but lower cost activity such as Outpatients having a disproportionate effect. The overall methodology for weighting activity is consistent with the NHS Productivity Growth Estimates Management Information Publication and this publication includes a detailed methodology description, caveats and data quality notes. However, precise changes will differ between this dashboard and the publication, due to the rolling 12 month nature of this dashboard, its focus on acute provides, and the reduced and simpler set of activity categories in the dashboard with areas such as Advice and Guidance which has a shorter time series, and Critical Care not included.
The percentage change between the total cost weighted activity (CWA) compared to the equivalent total for the selected baseline period. NHS cost data are used to estimate the CWA using the HRG information, so that raw activity counts are multiplied by the national average cost based on the Reference Cost 23/24 for that activity and resulting in a cost weighted activity value. National average costs are used to weight activity, rather than the specific weights that might be calculated for each individual trusts. These national average costs are based on the data submitted to the NCC (National Cost Collection) by all NHS trusts. Urgent and Emergency Care pathways ending with SDEC-type attendance are weighted using a single unit cost per pathway to manage classification issues with SDEC activity. The methodology includes adjustments for working days (WD) in planned services that typically take place only on weekdays, and for pure calendar days (CD) in unplanned services that typically take place seven days a week. Percentage calculation is displayed as 12-month rolling basis.
These metrics come from the same data source as our Hospital Episode Statistics dataset. These metrics provide more detailed breakdowns and have some slightly different processing rules applied.
To make time series as comparable as possible, we have joined the activity into spells and for each spell, we only count it once, so for example if a patient is admitted via A&E and stays at least one night as an admitted patient, they will only be counted in Overnight Emergency Pathways.
Specific acute and maternity consultant and non-consultant led outpatient attendances, excluding treatment function code 812 (Diagnostic Imaging), cancellations and DNA's appointments. Source: Secondary Uses Service (SUS+).
Planned and waiting list diagnostic imaging tests or procedures activity, including magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography, and non-obstetric ultrasound. Source: Diagnostic Waiting Time and Activity (DM01).
Specific acute elective admission spells, including ordinary, day case and regular day-night admissions. Source: Secondary Uses Service (SUS+).
Maternity non-elective and elective admission spells, including ordinary, day case, regular day-night admissions, and all non-elective admissions. Source: Secondary Uses Service (SUS+).
Urgent and emergency care pathways that end without an overnight inpatient admission. This includes attendances at Emergency Departments (A&E Type 1 and 2), Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) and Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) (Type 3 and 4), and Same-Day Emergency Care (SDEC) units where the patient is discharged on the same day. Pathways ending in a non-elective inpatient admission with a length of stay of zero day are also included, as the patient did not remain in hospital overnight. Where a patient has multiple contacts on the same day (e.g. a Type 5 attendance followed by a non-elective zero-day admission), the pathway logic treats these as a single patient journey rather than as separate episodes. As a result, the pathway count may be lower than the total number of individual activity records. Source: Secondary Uses Service (SUS+).
Specific acute non-elective inpatient spells with a length of stay of at least 1 day. Source: Secondary Uses Service (SUS+).
The percentage change between the cost weighted activity compared to the equivalent total for the selected baseline period.
Changes in total reported FTE in the displayed Staff Groups since 2019.
Underlying data are sourced from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) which the NHS' main HR and Payroll system. The data in this dashboard are sourced from the NHS workforce statistics that are based on ESR data - https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics.
Users should note that some organisations may have merged with others or taken on additional staff through re-organisation with other parts of the NHS since the baseline period began. This may explain changes in workforce numbers observed in some organisations as they have taken on new staff from legacy organisations.
The Data Quality Annex within the published Official Statistics details where these mergers, and other organisational changes which may affect reported numbers, have occurred.
The sum total of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) reported in the dashboard may not add up to published totals as a small number of staff with unknown classifications have been omitted. Additionally, data in this dashboard features data only from Acute Trusts, and reported totals in the Official Statistics feature data from all Trust types. Data used to populate this dashboard can be found on the Supplementary Information pages of NHS England's website.
The percentage change between the summed total of all presented staff groups, compared to the equivalent total for the selected baseline period.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in post at March 2026 compared with March 2019.
Underlying data are sourced from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) which the NHS' main HR and Payroll system. The data in this dashboard are sourced from the NHS workforce statistics that are based on ESR data - https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics.
Users should note that some organisations may have merged with others or taken on additional staff through re-organisation with other parts of the NHS since the baseline period began. This may explain changes in workforce numbers observed in some organisations as they have taken on new staff from legacy organisations.
The Data Quality Annex within the published Official Statistics details where these mergers, and other organisational changes which may affect reported numbers, have occurred.
The sum total of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) reported in the dashboard may not add up to published totals as a small number of staff with unknown classifications have been omitted. Additionally, data in this dashboard features data only from Acute Trusts, and reported totals in the Official Statistics feature data from all Trust types. Data used to populate this dashboard can be found on the Supplementary Information pages of NHS England's website.
The percentage change between the activity and cost weighted activity (CWA) compared to the equivalent for the selected baseline period (12-month rolling basis).
Rolling year to February 2026 compared with rolling year to February 2019.
This data comes from NHS England Secondary Uses Service (SUS+), which records patient-level information in line with national standards in NHS hospitals, and also from Diagnostic Waiting Time and Activity (DM01) data collections. The cost weighted activity values are in development, and this recognises the measures are not yet fully developed and potentially with a degree of uncertainty.
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in post at March 2026 compared with March 2019.
Full time equivalent (FTE) is based on the proportion of time staff work in a role and therefore does not measure the total hours in which work is carried out. For example, a doctor may be expected to work in excess of 37.5 hrs a week, which would be an FTE of 1. A nurse is usually expected to work 37.5 hours each week, this is also 1 FTE. This is different from 'Headcount' which refers to the distinct count of individuals.
| Staff group | Current value | Change vs 2019 |
|---|---|---|
HCHS doctors | 1,319 | +34% |
Nurses & health visitors | 2,803 | +40% |
Midwives |
Rolling year to February 2026 compared with rolling year to February 2019.
The activity counts are sourced from the Secondary Uses Service (SUS+), and Diagnostic Waiting Time and Activity (DM01) data collection, which include information on admissions (spells), outpatient appointments, A&E attendances, and diagnostic imaging tests and procedures.
| Care setting | Current value |
|---|
| 267 |
| +10% |
Scientific, therapeutic & technical staff | 1,130 | +18% |
Support to clinical staff | 2,940 | +32% |
NHS infrastructure support | 1,488 | -1% |
All staff groups | 9,947 | +26% |
This data comes from NHS England Secondary Uses Service (SUS+), which records patient-level information in line with national standards in NHS hospitals, and also from Diagnostic Waiting Time and Activity (DM01) data collections. The data is published monthly and covers all NHS acute trusts in England.
| Change vs 2019 |
|---|
Outpatient | 741,906 | +16.4% |
Diagnostic Imaging | 207,443 | +140.5% |
Elective Admission | 87,070 | +12.9% |
Maternity Admission | 12,492 | -11.2% |
Short Stay Emergency Pathways | 176,448 | +12.7% |
Overnight Emergency Pathways | 51,054 | -8.2% |
Overall Weighted Activity Change | — | +15.2% |