Survey of National Health Service Reforms and the Working Lives of Midwives and Physiotherapists (CBR project)

Overview

Aims and objectives

The CBR carried out 2 surveys on behalf of Dr Frank Wilkinson, who was asked by the Royal College of Midwives and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists to undertake a comparative study of the working conditions and professional issues affecting midwives and physiotherapists, with particular reference to the impact of working conditions and recent NHS reforms on their professional lives, functions and attitudes.

The project followed up previous research undertaken by the CBR on the impact of NHS reform on midwives; and explored the impact on midwives and physiotherapists of: extra investment in the NHS; reconfiguration of health services; widening professional roles; the move from uni- to multi-professional team working; continuing professional development; the ability of midwives and physiotherapists to engage with and influence strategies service provision; the impact of these changes in workload on key indicators of professional well being including morale, motivation, job-satisfaction and stress levels; the effect on this on their commitment to the NHS and its reform programme; and, the policy implications of these findings.

The surveys took the form of postal surveys, which were sent to 5,000 midwives and physiotherapists and resulted in a response rate of 46%.

Core team

Alan Hughes
Andy Cosh
Anna Bullock
Isobel Milner