Educational interventions and retention of the primary care workforce: what has been done before? A scoping review

Introduction and aim: NHS primary care dentistry is facing a workforce crisis. Education and training opportunities have been suggested as an approach to improve retention. This review aims to summarise the literature available on educational interventions and their impact on primary healthcare workforce retention.

Methods: A recommended scoping review methodology was employed. Electronic databases (n = 6), grey literature and organisational websites were searched. Stakeholders were consulted to support interpretation of the findings and development of recommendations.

Results: A total of 21 items were included (peer-reviewed: n = 20; grey literature: n = 1). Publication dates ranged from 1976-2022 and originated from seven countries. The majority were case studies and none focused on dentistry. Interventions varied from small group learning to formal training programmes, with most aimed at either specified career timepoints or clinicians working in specific primary care settings. Methods of evaluation typically involved questionnaires following programme completion.

Conclusion: Workforce retention is complex, with educational interventions having a potential role to play in improving retention. Areas of future research include: 1) improvement in the co-design of these interventions, particularly exploring when such programmes could be most beneficial during career pathways; and 2) improved evaluations including investigation of longer-term employment patterns.