The five-year programme will focus specifically on primary care and maternity services in remote and deprived areas, where workforce sustainability problems are most acute. It aims to improve working environments, create a more stable healthcare workforce, and enhance care for patients.
The NDPCHS Workforce and Learning Research Group are working with the Newcastle University, Northumbria, Birmingham and York universities on this £5m National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Workforce Research Partnership (WRP) to address pressing issues in healthcare recruitment and retention.
Professor Sophie Park from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, who is leading the realist review workstream for this project said: ‘This collaboration represents a significant opportunity to address some of the most pressing workforce challenges facing our healthcare system today. In Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, we're particularly excited to bring our expertise in primary care realist research and co-production. We will work in partnership with community stakeholders and public to identify, address and co-develop sustainable solutions that work for both healthcare professionals and the communities they seek to serve. By focusing on underserved areas, we can ensure our research addresses the key priorities of those working with patients in areas of deprivation and inequality, to benefit those most in need of workforce stability and improved access to care.’
The initiative comes at a critical time for UK health and social care services, which currently face workforce challenges in primary care, alongside over 106,000 unfilled posts in secondary care and 131,000 vacancies in the social care sector.