What are health care assistants’ experiences of redeployment?
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN67766303 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN67766303 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) | 349764 |
| Protocol serial number | Nil known |
| Sponsor | The Open University |
| Funder | Investigator initiated and funded |
- Submission date
- 28/03/2025
- Registration date
- 14/04/2025
- Last edited
- 03/12/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
The proposed study aims to explore the lived experiences of healthcare professionals affected by redeployment, focusing on its challenges and opportunities. Ultimately, this research aims to develop knowledge which allows us to support staff in times of crisis (and post-crisis) and increase the level of resilience within healthcare systems. The research aims to explore the lived experiences of healthcare professionals who have been redeployed into other services, examining the impact on both the staff involved and patient care and experience. It seeks to understand what constitutes a 'good' redeployment and identify the necessary conditions for achieving successful redeployment.
Who can participate?
Participants should be within a healthcare support worker/healthcare assistant role within an NHS Trust or an FT within the Midlands region. They must have experienced redeployment within the last twelve months for at least one shift (and not as part of an agency shift).
What does the study involve?
The study will employ a qualitative approach, specifically a Husserlian approach of descriptive phenomenology, using epistemology. A purposeful sampling method will be used to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews will be offered either in person or over Microsoft Teams.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
This study aims to improve the experience of redeployment in the future, and therefore this study should ultimately improve working lives; however, recounting these experiences may be distressing and they should consider this if wishing to take part.
Where is the study run from?
Both the University Hospitals of North Midlands and the Midlands Partnership support the study
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2025 to August 2027. Interviews will take place from September 2025 for a period of up to a year.
Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded
Who is the main contact?
Ben Richards, ben.richards@open.ac.uk or ben.richards@combined.nhs.uk
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator
Lawton House
Bellringer Road
Stoke on Trent
ST4 8HH
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0009-0001-8671-9109 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)300 123 1535 (ext 6661) |
| ben.richards@open.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Observational |
|---|---|
| Study design | Multicentre observational health professional phenomenological study |
| Secondary study design | Semi structured interview study |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | What are health care assistants’ experiences of redeployment? |
| Study objectives | Ultimately this research aims to develop knowledge which allows us to support staff in times of crisis (and post crisis) and increase the level of resilience within healthcare systems. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 18/05/2025, Health Research Authority (2 Redman Place, Stratford, London, E20 1JQ, United Kingdom; +44 (0)207 104 8000; approvals@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 25/HRA/2114 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Lived experiences of healthcare professionals affected by redeployment, focusing on its challenges and opportunities. |
| Intervention | The study will employ a qualitative approach, specifically a Husserlian approach of descriptive phenomenology, using epistemology. A purposeful sampling method will be used to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews will be offered either in person or over Microsoft Teams. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Healthcare assistant lived experiences of redeployment measured using qualitative interviews at the point of interview, the experience having occurred in the past 12 months for at least one shift and not as a result of an agency shift. |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Healthcare assistant perceptions of patient care impact of staff redeployment measured using qualitative interviews at the point of interview, the redeployment experience having occurred in the past 12 months for at least one shift and not as a result of an agency shift. |
| Completion date | 01/08/2027 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Health professional |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 99 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 20 |
| Total final enrolment | 20 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Healthcare Support Worker / Healthcare Assistant 2. Impacted by redeployment (at least one shift) in the last twelve months 3. Employed in an NHS Trust or Foundation Trust in the NHSE Midlands Region |
| Key exclusion criteria | Redeployment experience relates to an agency shift |
| Date of first enrolment | 05/09/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 29/11/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centres
St Georges Hospital
Corporation Street
Stafford
ST16 3SR
England
Stoke-on-trent
ST4 6QG
England
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in publicly available repository |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be stored in a publicly available repository – Open University Research Data Online - https://ordo.open.ac.uk/ |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
03/12/2025: The date of final enrolment was changed from 31/03/2026 to 29/11/2025. Total final enrolment added.
18/11/2025: The IPD sharing plan was updated.
16/09/2025: The date of first enrolment was changed from 01/09/2025 to 05/09/2025.
18/06/2025: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The IRAS number was added.
2. The ethics approval was added.
17/04/2025: The public title and scientific title were changed from "What are health professionals' experiences of redeployment?" to "What are health care assistants’ experiences of redeployment?"
14/04/2025: Study's existence confirmed by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (UK).
