Increasing retention of healthcare staff from ethnic minority groups (I-CARE)
Research question
In which contexts and why are staff from minoritised groups more likely to leave or stay within the NHS workforce post-pandemic compared to white British groups?
Project aims
To improve understanding of how and why NHS staff from ethnic minority groups and/or staff who have migrated to the UK ( minoritised groups ) stay or leave the NHS. To develop with policy-makers, staff and patients, new policies and practices ( interventions ) the NHS can use to retain more staff from minoritised groups. This study will help us understand why minoritised staff stay or leave their healthcare jobs. It will will also help to keep staff in their job roles - and reduce workload pressures, improve staff well being and improve patient care.
The challenge addressed
The NHS has a workforce crisis. Efforts to retain staff post-pandemic - including the 24% from ethnic minority groups who make up 42% doctors and 90% of the lowest-paid nurses - are hampered by lack of information and knowledge. We know staff from minoritised groups tend to have lower pay, poorer career progression and are more likely to experience harassment compared to white British staff, but we do not know precisely which groups of staff may be more likely to leave or why. We also do not know what the NHS can do to encourage them to stay.