Sustaining the education workforce in healthcare: Challenges for the future

Aim: The aim of the study was to scope education staff capacity to meet the future needs of the healthcare workforce in practice across South West (SW) England. Background: As individual nations come to terms with the impact of the incurred global debt, the university sector also faces a period of financial stringency and review of current resources. Additionally, there is growing evidence world-wide, of an increasing crisis in the recruitment and retention of healthcare educators. Method: Using a survey approach, an audit of six universities in South West England completed a bespoke self-administered questionnaire between April and June 2008, when prior to and since these dates, major reforms have taken place. Data were entered into a spreadsheet and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Considerable variation across professional groups was observed, particularly in staff/student ratios. Data indicates an ageing workforce with less than 20% of staff in possession of a doctorate. Conclusions: The results mirror other work and concerns from abroad, particularly in Nursing in identifying areas at risk in the education workforce. The potential for incentives to encourage practitioners into a career in education will do much to entice the best from practice to plan for succession, and, drive quality for patient benefit. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd