Abstract

This is a two stage project, initially funded by HERDA-SW then extended to be dually funded by HERDA-SW and the SW Strategic Health Authority. Stage one commenced April 2008 and was reported on 4th June 2008. Essentially this stage was a scoping exercise to determine the numbers, ages, grades and vacancies of staff involved in the education of the non-medical healthcare workforce across SW England. It involved the heads of department completing a bespoke questionnaire for each professional group. Stage two focused on exploring in more depth the recruitment and retention of midwifery academics based in SW England and the perceived challenges they anticipated in the coming the next five years. Following the development of data collection interview guides and University research ethics approval for the project, face-to-face or telephone interviews were arranged with Heads of midwifery departments (n=3). In addition the project sought to conduct a series of focus group interviews with midwifery academics from each of the study sites. The project was presented to the Strategic Health Authority, based in Taunton, on November 19th 2008.