Purpose

Retention of NHS staff is a key policy issue. Understanding the factors associated with the decisions of individual NHS staff members to leave the service is an important first step in monitoring retention, and in designing interventions to improve retention rates in the NHS. This study focuses on the leaving decisions of consultants, nurses and healthcare assistants employed directly by NHS acute trusts, exploring the association of individual, trust and regional characteristics with retention rates among each group.

Timescale

2022

Funding

NIHR Policy Research Programme

Methods

The study uses NHS payroll data from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) combined with staff survey, local economic and trust performance information to study how a range of individual, trust and regional factors are associated with retention rates among different staff groups in the NHS acute sector.

Findings

See under Outputs below for report (August 2022).

Impact

Findings have been presented to DHSC, NHS England/Improvement and Health Education England policy colleagues and analysts. The results have formed ongoing discussions about how to monitor retention outcomes across NHS acute trusts.