RHCW research portfolio is organic and will be evolving over time as research gaps and sector needs emerge.
In addition, this website will contain a repository of interesting research and strategic documents relating to Rural Health and Social Care.
Current RHCW Research Projects:
Macmillan Rural Cancer Experience Evaluation (July 2023 – June 2025)
Rural Health and Care Wales is undertaking a project that will investigate the experiences of people living in rural Mid Wales who have had or are living with cancer. The evaluation seeks to include the views and experiences of people who have (or have previously had) cancer, their family or carers, and the professionals that treat them. This information will be gathered to help us make recommendations on what could and should be in place to improve the experiences of people living with cancer in rural Wales. The hope is that this will help people living in Mid Wales to have better outcomes from their care.
The project consists of four main stages:
Stage 1 (Literature Review) – A review of literature from Wales, followed by an international scoping is being done to inform the project findings.
Stage 2 (Desktop Review) – A desktop search of current service provision for people with cancer in Mid Wales will be documented.
Stage 3 (one to one and focus group discussions, case studies) – The primary research will be qualitatively based – seeking the thoughts, views and experiences of the Mid Wales population.
Stage 4 (Report) – A final report of findings, with recommendations for improving the rural cancer patient experience, will be produced in June 2025.
If you would like more information on the project, or would like to contribute / take part, or would like to receive a copy of the final report, please contact Becky Gardner, Macmillan Rural Cancer Experience Researcher, by email at Rebecca.gardner2@wales.nhs.uk or by telephone on 07450 727567.
This project is being delivered by Rural Health and Care Wales, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support.
Sustainable Communities
Click here for more details : Sustainable Communities
A review and action plan for GP / Primary care provision in Mid Wales – details to follow
Wellbeing Walks – details to follow
The Community Hospitals of Rural Mid Wales – details to follow
Past RHCW Research Projects
On Your Bike – Details to follow
The Recruitment and Retention of Health and Social Care professionals in Rural Wales
This research sought to:
- Identify current gaps and future anticipated gaps in health and social care workforce recruitment and appointments in rural areas
- Identify model programs for planning workforce and recruitment needs at community, county and national levels
Develop a best practice document on recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals in rural areas
The Education, Training and Continuous Professional Development of Health and Social Care Professionals in Rural areas
This extensive area of research sought to:
- Scope the current education, training and research provision in Wales as relevant to rural health and social care
- Identify the skills required by a professional health and social care workforce to effectively work in rural areas
- Scope the current provision of skills of health and social care professionals in rural areas
- Recognise gaps in current skills / workforce provision and identify training / action required to remedy
- Research new trends in workforce development for health and social care professionals working in rural areas
Develop a best practice document on education, training and CPD for health and social care professionals working in rural areas
Nursing Workforce Challenges in Rural Areas of Developed Countries
For some health providers in developed countries, ensuring an adequate nursing workforce is exacerbated by rural geography, where chronic staff shortages, together with rural recruitment and retention difficulties, pose significant challenges in respect of their ability to deliver quality patient care.
Rural Health and Care Wales part-funded a PhD student at Aberystwyth University to undertake research on the workforce challenges facing nurses in rural areas. The research was broken down into three areas of study:
Study 1: determine if there is a relationship between where nurses work in relation to the location of their childhood upbringing and where they trained as nurses.
Study 2: examine perceptions of the barriers and facilitators facing rural nursing in Mid Wales.
Study 3: build on previous findings in order to develop a deeper understanding of the core issues identified in studies 1 and 2.
This investigation into the recruitment and retention challenges facing nurses in rural areas of Mid Wales will add to the evidence base surrounding the rural health care debate and it is anticipated that the results of this study could influence staffing delivery models on the international stage.
If you are conducting, or know of previously conducted, research that may be of interest to RHCW, contact Anna Prytherch, Head, RHCW.