Nurses, midwives, and migration: evidence from a linked registrant-census dataset
Lead Research Organisation:
Edinburgh Napier University
Department Name: School of Health and Social Care
Abstract
Nurses and midwives are crucial to patient care to the extent that shortages lead to poorer patient outcomes including raised mortality. Healthcare workforce plans across the UK are including increased training places as key policy aims. Yet numbers applying for training places have been in decline in recent years. Many posts are currently being filled through international recruitment. There may be opportunities to target investment towards recruiting new registrants to specific parts of the country. Almost 30 percent of new registrants do not find employment in the health service locally. Understanding which geographic areas have high levels of out- or in-migration can facilitate decisions towards geographically focusing expansion of training opportunities. Whilst there is a large and growing literature around healthcare professionals and international migration, little is known about moves within the UK. This study looks to address that gap.
This fellowship takes advantage of an ADR UK flagship dataset, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - Census England and Wales 2021 dataset, to focus on nurse and midwife migration within the UK. The NMC are responsible for maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives who meet required standards across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. An anonymised version is made available to accredited researchers through the Office for National Statistics. The census provides the most comprehensive source of social data available. Both datasets include data that can used to analysis residential relocations within the UK. And it is to that goal and using this data that this research focuses.
It will map migration of nurses, nursing associates and midwives across the UK, at national and regional levels, highlighting those places that experience gain or loss of registrants. Policy relevance will be central with figures broken down further for nurses by branch: adult; mental health; learning disability; and childrens. Importantly it will also give particular focus to those who have trained in the UK and in their first year since qualifying. Analysis will then focus in greater detail on reasons for migrating, using statistical modelling techniques to understand social and professional drivers.
The NMC-census dataset is an invaluable resource that holds potential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nursing and midwifery professions into the future. This project will contribute to the goal of realising its potential with focus on geographical dimensions. In so doing, it will use the census to assess the validity of geographic data in the register. Provision of information on area of residence is not mandatory. Understanding the extent to which bias results can enable weights to be calculated that can enable more accurate estimates to be extrapolated.
Furthering policy reach and relevance, the Nuffield Trust, leaders in informing healthcare workforce policy, are key contributors. They will be centrally involved in supporting the development of outputs that more effectively explain findings for a policy audience. Further, they are well placed to facilitate key results reaching key stakeholders who have responsibility to policy development.
In summary, this study will provide new insights into the migration of nurses, nursing associates and midwives within the UK. It will provide policy relevant information that can inform decision making across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. And in so doing it will further establish the flagship data used as a key workforce policy tool.
This fellowship takes advantage of an ADR UK flagship dataset, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - Census England and Wales 2021 dataset, to focus on nurse and midwife migration within the UK. The NMC are responsible for maintaining a register of all nurses and midwives who meet required standards across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. An anonymised version is made available to accredited researchers through the Office for National Statistics. The census provides the most comprehensive source of social data available. Both datasets include data that can used to analysis residential relocations within the UK. And it is to that goal and using this data that this research focuses.
It will map migration of nurses, nursing associates and midwives across the UK, at national and regional levels, highlighting those places that experience gain or loss of registrants. Policy relevance will be central with figures broken down further for nurses by branch: adult; mental health; learning disability; and childrens. Importantly it will also give particular focus to those who have trained in the UK and in their first year since qualifying. Analysis will then focus in greater detail on reasons for migrating, using statistical modelling techniques to understand social and professional drivers.
The NMC-census dataset is an invaluable resource that holds potential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nursing and midwifery professions into the future. This project will contribute to the goal of realising its potential with focus on geographical dimensions. In so doing, it will use the census to assess the validity of geographic data in the register. Provision of information on area of residence is not mandatory. Understanding the extent to which bias results can enable weights to be calculated that can enable more accurate estimates to be extrapolated.
Furthering policy reach and relevance, the Nuffield Trust, leaders in informing healthcare workforce policy, are key contributors. They will be centrally involved in supporting the development of outputs that more effectively explain findings for a policy audience. Further, they are well placed to facilitate key results reaching key stakeholders who have responsibility to policy development.
In summary, this study will provide new insights into the migration of nurses, nursing associates and midwives within the UK. It will provide policy relevant information that can inform decision making across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. And in so doing it will further establish the flagship data used as a key workforce policy tool.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Iain Atherton (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |