The Department of Health confirmed that the number of people working in Northern Ireland's health service has risen by nearly a fifth over the past ten years.
Staff levels stood at 56,000 in 2018 and have reached approximately 68,000 today.
This steady expansion has seen consultant numbers climb from around 1,700 to 2,154 in the current year.
Despite this growth, medical experts warn that the increase is not keeping pace with patient demand.
More than 6,500 positions are currently open and being filled by recruitment officers.
Nursing and midwifery roles account for the largest share of available posts at 2,005 openings.
Social services vacancies total 1,205, while the medical and dental category has 431 spots.
Within that medical group, half the vacancies are designated for consultants.