Vacancies went up by more than 9,000 between April and June and now stand at nearly 108,000 — with more than £1billion spent plugging gaps.
NHS Improvement said the rise, due to increased demand and high leaving rates, is set to continue throughout the financial year.
It reported 41,722 nursing vacancies in English NHS trusts at the end of June, along with 11,576 unfilled posts for doctors.
Between April and June, NHS trusts spent more than £1.4billion plugging roles using its own staff “banks” and agency workers.
Siva Anandaciva, of independent think tank The King’s Fund, said: “Widespread and growing nursing shortages now risk becoming a national emergency and are symptomatic of a long-term failure in workforce planning.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said it was “training 25 per cent more doctors, nurses and midwives”.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said trusts "are doing all they can" to respond to increasing demand, workforce shortages, and financial pressures.
He said: "However hard they run, they don't seem able to outpace the increase in demand.
"Trusts tell us they are most worried about the workforce shortages they face, and it's a real concern that these figures have shown such a big increase in vacancy levels."
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