Retaining doctors in organisations in socioeconomically deprived areas in England: a qualitative study

To identify factors that improve retention in under-doctored areas that experience difficulties in maintaining sufficient medical workforce.

Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews, collected as part of a larger study.

Four purposely sampled geographic case study sites in England. Three case study sites were selected as areas that struggled to recruit and retain doctors and one as an area that is oversubscribed. This comprised 27 NHS Trusts, plus 1449 GP practices.

100 National Health Service (NHS)-employed doctors (including general practitioners, consultant specialists, specialty and specialist doctors, resident doctors/doctors in postgraduate training and locally employed doctors) were interviewed between December 2022 and March 2024.

Participants shared their experiences of organisational levers that impact on decisions about working life and retention in the workforce. Two key themes explained factors influencing retention. First, participants discussed feeling valued by the organisation, both in terms of material circumstances and in relationships with colleagues. Second, the theme of autonomy and opportunity explored why doctors chose to stay in areas that typically experience difficulties in maintaining sufficient staffing.

Many studies focusing on workforce examine why staff leave, but by focusing on factors that influence retention, greater understanding of specific facets of organisational culture can be used to inform policy and practice.

ISRCTN95452848.