The composition of the NHS Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) workforce
Digital Skills Development Network, Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) Census 2026 - It is important to understand the size and make-up of the Digital Data and Technology workforce at a regional and national level and to track changes over the years as policies and structures change.
The Digital Skills Development Networks (DSDNs) have been collecting data in 2024 and 2025 and are planning the next collection to take place as on 31 March 2026. This is particularly important given the key role DDaT staff will play over the coming years in establishing new structures and providing a central role in the commissioning of digital based models of care to support the delivery of the 10-year plan.
A census dashboard has been developed using data returns from the DDaT workforce censuses in 2024 and 2025. The 2024 census had a completion rate of 84% and the 2025 census had a 90% completion rate, which included a number of organisations submitting their 2024 data as 2025 data.
Where organisations were not able to provide any census data, estimates were calculated, based on census average FTE percentages by role and grade, standardised by total FTEs in each of the missing organisations.
In addition, organisational groupings are included, such as Region, Cluster Group, Benchmark Group and ICS, to enable analysis at different levels. These have been taken from existing NHS workforce statistics published by NHS England.
The dashboard is a useful tool for leaders who want to understand the workforce, see sample screenshot below. They are able analyse, compare, and filter down to into type of organisation, type of role to understand the workforce’s composition.
We would hope that everyone has an interest in the DDaT workforce composition and encourage you to request access to the dashboard by contacting: [email protected] who is coordinating this.
Page last reviewed: 4 March 2026
Next review due: 4 March 2028