Exploring the challenges which influence general dental practitioners'' participation as educational supervisors in dental foundation training in the South West of England

Introduction The challenges of recruitment and retention of dentists within the NHS are a major contributory factor in delivering dental access. Availability and geographical location of dental foundation training (DFT) placements is considered to be an important element in recruiting new dental graduates to poorly served areas. A recent decline in the number of dentists applying to act as educational supervisors (ESs) for DFT has been observed, which could have a direct impact on the future sustainability of NHS services. Aims This study aimed to explore the challenges faced by ESs which influence participation in DFT in South West England. Design A cohort study of existing and previous ESs using qualitative methodology. Methods ESs within South West England were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews to explore the challenges of providing DFT. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis. Results In total, 18 ESs were interviewed, with the main challenges identified as workload, financial, recruitment process, feeling valued and the application process. Conclusion An increasing number of challenges are undermining the positive benefits of being an ES. These challenges need to be addressed urgently to avoid further difficulties in recruitment and retention of ESs. Some of these challenges can be addressed at a regional or local level, but factors related to funding, national recruitment and the increasing educational responsibility of the ES need to be addressed at a national level.