Figures released by NHS England have shown that there are more nurses and midwives than ever before working in the NHS.

The figures from November show that the number of nurses and midwives working in the NHS in England is now at 372,411. NHS England says this is the highest number on record and 20,000 more in the NHS workforce going into this winter compared with last year.

It was also reported that the number of midwives has grown by more than 1,100 from last year to 23,396 – the largest number of midwives ever.

NHS England is citing new routes into the two professions and expanded international recruitment and retention initiatives.

Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said: “Nurses, midwives, nursing associates and support workers are a crucial part of our NHS workforce, providing essential treatment and care to patients and communities.

“It’s good to see today’s figures which show growth in these roles across the NHS. Of course, we still have some way to go which is why it is vital we continue to build our workforce as set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan – through increasing the number of future nurses and midwives in training and improving retention. Key to this is improving the experiences of our colleagues who work so hard to provide patients and the public with the very best care.

“Joining the NHS was the best decision I ever made. If you think nursing or midwifery could be for you, you can search ‘NHS nursing careers’ to find out more about the roles available and how to apply.”

Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “With 1,000 more midwives in our workforce than a year ago, the results of this data show green shoots of progress and are a welcome boost for our maternity and neonatal services.

“While this is good news, it is important for us to continue to build on this progress, in line with ambitions in both the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and our Three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services.”