Marvin OnumonuThe University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol has launched a £5m national research partnership to support the wellbeing and sustainability of the NHS and social care workforce in same day and urgent care.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), in collaboration with the University of Bristol and nine other institutions, the partnership aims to address staff shortages, high employee sickness rates, and recruitment challenges.
The same day and urgent care (SURGE) workforce research partnership is one of five research partnerships as part of a £24m investment from the NIHR.
The research will cover services such as general practice, ambulance services, and urgent treatment centres across the UK, focusing on improving planning and service provision to meet patient needs and create a better work environment.
The five-year study will involve consultations with patients, health and social care staff, and NHS managers.
Sarah Voss, professor of emergency care at UWE Bristol, said: “Same day and urgent care is time-critical, high-pressured and unpredictable, making the workforce extremely vulnerable to poor mental and physical health.
“This impacts on wellbeing, sickness levels, job satisfaction and ultimately performance.
“Recruitment and retention are among the worst in the NHS, resulting in challenges to the delivery of timely, safe, high-quality and efficient care for patients.”
Nicola Walsh, professor of knowledge mobilisation and musculoskeletal health at UWE Bristol, said: “For this vitally important project, we will be working closely with partners from higher education and the NHS to come up with impactful, rapidly transferable evidence that will support employers to create a more robust and thriving workforce.”
Potential solutions might include better technology use, organisational changes, and support mechanisms for staff.
The partnership also involves eight other universities and two NHS trusts, including Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Udy Archibong from the University of Bradford said: “Inclusivity is central to the mission of this workforce research partnership.
“We will work with a diverse group of NHS and social care staff to identify critical equality challenges affecting recruitment and retention of the workforce.
“Furthermore, addressing these challenges creates opportunities to reduce systemic health and care inequalities, helping to improve patient outcomes.”
Jo Hicks, chief people officer at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, said: “We’re delighted to be working with UWE and partners on this prestigious and important national research partnership.
“Recruiting, retaining and supporting a skilled, diverse and healthy workforce is critical if we are to provide high quality and sustainable same day and urgent care services that meet our population’s needs.”
