Understanding recruitment, management, and support of multi-disciplinary health worker volunteers along life and career pathways to offer ethical, optimal and mutual knowledge gains for both Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) and NHS settings
Health Education England has commissioned research into Global Health Fellowships, with a primary focus on exploring and understanding better what impact the preparation and support of NHS staff on overseas placements can have: on participants, the overseas partner, and the NHS on their return. The project is part of a wider body of work to support the growth of opportunities for NHS staff to work and learn overseas, and normalise global learning opportunities for the current and future healthcare workforce, in order to develop a more flexible workforce to meet current and emerging healthcare needs.
Beginning in October 2021, this research will explore two linked aspects of overseas placements: the preparation and support provided to all participants, and how to enable NHS participants to recognise and use their new learning (of all kinds) in the NHS on their return. It will be undertaken as a linked PhD with a parallel researcher working at the University of Manchester, with the University of Salford research focusing on nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.
The three-year PhD research project has a longitudinal design, both retrospectively and prospectively, and will explore perceptions of those who have previously participated in international placements and those who are currently participating to capture a life course perspective of the long term impact of overseas placements, with the aim of developing recommendations on the recruitment and support of volunteers through international placements to maximise the eventual and mutual knowledge gains for the NHS and the LMIC setting.
Project Team: Claire Horder, Professor Louise Ackers, Dr David Beck, Dr James Ackers
Research Group: CSHR, Knowledge Health and Place, PhD Projects
Project Funder: Health Education England