A longitudinal study of allied health professionals' career attitudes, intentions and behaviour in a changing labour market

This project examines perceptions of working for the NHS held by qualified allied health professionals (AHPs) in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography and speech and language therapy. These AHPs responded to a survey from the same research team in early 2005, when, many were employed by the NHS but some were employed elsewhere and some were not in employment. Data from the present study uncovers (i) how views, intentions, and employment choices regarding the NHS have or have not changed in the last two and a half years; and (ii) whether AHPs' attitudes, perceptions and intentions expressed in 2005 have translated into actual employment choices. The guiding framework is the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), which predicts that attitudes, beliefs about the opinions of other people, beliefs about one's personal control, a sense of moral obligation and personal identity all affect intention which in turn affects behaviour. Questionnaires will be sent to over 1300 AHPs using contact information they provided. Data will be mostly quantitative, but some will be qualitative. It is anticipated that the results will provide a rare opportunity to analyse trends in the NHS's employer 'brand image' to AHPs, as well as testing and extending the TPB.