A new report has set out an ambition to increase the number of nursing, midwifery and allied health clinical academics by 50% over the next five years.
Commissioned by the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), the report outlines steps that can be taken to increase the opportunities for health professionals to develop careers in research, enable clinical staff to gain research skills and experience and set outs the need to build strong and supportive research cultures threaded through our health and higher education systems to encourage and sustain high-quality research and innovation. These actions are directed at NHS organisations, universities and research funders who must work in greater partnership to make this possible.
Produced by a UK-wide Task and Finish group representing major funders, policymakers and clinical academics in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions, including the Academy of Medical Sciences, the report was chaired by Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair of Research England and supported by the Council of Deans of Health.
Five action areas have been identified to address the key challenges around increasing the number of clinical academics, providing flexible and accessible career pathways, supportive environments and adequate funding for those wanting to pursue clinical academic careers throughout the UK, and addressing significant gaps in data which limits the monitoring of the clinical academic landscape in the UK.
Key areas include:
- Develop and embed clear research career routes and sustainable supply to enable the number of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional clinical academics to scale from the current very low base, across all four countries of the UK.
- Create a culture and environment that supports sustainable clinical academic careers for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.
- Embed processes to support equitable pay and conditions across higher education institutions and health care providers.
- Embed robust context-specific data on the number and distribution of clinical academics from nursing, midwifery and allied health professions into key decision-making bodies so that progress can be monitored.
Professor Rosalind Smyth CBE FMedSci, Vice President (Clinical) at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “Nurses, midwives and allied health professionals are essential to delivering research that transforms patient care. This report highlights the challenges that people in these professions face when pursuing research careers – from limited career pathways to inadequate pay parity and research environments. We are committed to working with research funders and healthcare organisations to help address this situation, as we have been doing with the OSCHR-commissioned medics report. By investing in clinical academic careers across all healthcare disciplines, we can provide more rewarding roles for those working in the NHS and improve patient outcomes, drive innovation and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in health research.”
Professor Dame Jessica Corner FMedSci, Chair of the Task and Finish group, said: “The contribution nurses, midwives and allied health clinical academic researchers make to the health system is invaluable. They bring focus to unique and important questions that underpin the evidence base and drive innovation in health and care. Their perspectives, experiences and focus are essential. However, the opportunities, environment and culture to enable nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to actively participate in research and innovation are limited, and there are too many barriers for individuals to choose a research career path.
"This report, commissioned by the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR) has identified a set of key actions that can be taken to increase the opportunities for health professionals in nursing, midwifery and allied health to overcome these barriers and enable sustainable growth in the number of clinical academics working across our NHS and higher education sectors. Working together we can create a strong cadre of clinically prepared academics from all backgrounds to actively contribute to research and innovation and deliver the transformational changes needed across our health system.”
Ed Hughes, CEO of the Council of Deans of Health, said: “This is an important step forward in supporting clinical academic careers for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. Taken together, the actions will significantly enhance the research environment for these professions, which for too long have not been prioritised. The Council of Deans of Health is delighted to have been able to support this work, and will play a key part in delivering the changes proposed by the Task and Finish Group. Following today’s publication of the report, an implementation group will be established to bring stakeholders together to address the proposed actions, and to coordinate with other ongoing work to strengthen clinical academic careers in other fields, including medicine. Professor Jane Coad, working as a strategic advisor for the Council of Deans of Health, will lead this group.”
Professor Patrick Chinnery FMedSci, Chair of the OSCHR Task and Finish Group for Medically Qualified Researchers and Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said: “World-leading health research depends on a strong, diverse clinical academic workforce, including the vital contributions of nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals. This second OSCHR-commissioned sub-report outlines key actions to address the challenges these professions face and help reverse the decline in clinical researchers across the UK. Building on our earlier work on medically qualified researchers, we welcome the call for tailored, profession-specific action coordinated across funders, the NHS and universities. We look forward to supporting the next phase of this important work.”