New Community of Practice- Launch of the Nursing and Midwifery Population Data Research Community
Category: Blogs
20 October 2026
Over the last two years, ADR UK have supported the collaboration between ADR Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Office for National Statistics (ONS) and The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to create the Nursing and Midwifery Council Register linked to Census 2021 – England and Wales dataset. This ADR UK flagship dataset enables analysis of the wider dynamics of the nursing and midwifery professions – and what these might mean for entry and retention in the workforce.
Increasingly, these nationally linked population datasets offer unprecedented opportunities to answer important questions about health, workforces and outcomes. Yet identifying the most valuable questions among an ever-growing range of data resources is not straightforward. To help with the latter, Professor Iain Atherton and ADR Scotland colleagues created the Nursing & Midwifery Population Data Research Community, inviting people with shared interest on issues involving nurses and midwives to come together.
On 14 October 2026, we were delighted to launch this new Community focused on nurses and midwives at the Nursing and Midwifery Council HQ, London.
The launch brought together academics, doctoral students, regulators and government representatives, all united by a shared interest in using population data to better understand these vital professions. The breadth of expertise in the room reflected both the importance of the topic and the opportunities that can emerge when different perspectives are brought together.
In this blog Professor Iain Atherton provides a summary of the first meeting’s discussions and their future objectives.
Aim of first meeting
A central aim of the day was simply to get to know one another and begin exploring how the community can work most effectively. These conversations marked the beginning of a longer journey and will continue through an online forum, virtual seminars and, where possible, occasional in-person events.
It was agreed that the ultimate beneficiaries of this community extends far beyond the members themselves. Patients, families and indeed anyone who may one day rely on nursing or midwifery care (including you the reader) stand to benefit from a stronger evidence base.
Community’s objectives and measuring success
All members agreed that administrative data can only deliver public benefit when its analysis is connected to policy and practice. Therefore by bringing together people, expertise and data, this Community of Practice will strengthen those vital relationships, to turn information into meaningful insights that can inform policy, support practice and ultimately improve outcomes for nurses, midwives and the populations they serve.
Success will be measured in many ways:
- new collaborations and funding applications,
- working together on shared projects, including Exploring the dynamics of the nursing and midwifery workforces and Understanding the early careers of nursing graduates in Scotland.
- opportunities for doctoral students and early career researchers.
More broadly, the ambition is to build a substantial body of research focused on nursing and midwifery. In doing so, the community hopes to emulate the impact of landmark studies centred on particular occupational groups, such as:
- the Whitehall Studies of UK civil servants, research on doctors and smoking, and
- the Nurses' Health Studies, which have transformed understanding of women's health over several decades.
Speaking about the event, Bogusia Wojciechowska (Senior Research Manager, Training and Capacity Building, ADR UK) stated:
“What stood out to me was the energy in the room and enthusiasm for collaboration. Bringing together researchers, practitioners, regulators and other stakeholders creates valuable opportunities to share learning, strengthen partnerships and generate new insights. For ADR UK, this community also highlights how linked administrative data can support workforce research and inform policy and practice across health and care.”
The Future
Discussions on the day could easily have continued far longer, but time is always finite. Importantly, this was only the beginning. A dedicated Teams site has now been established to support ongoing dialogue, foster new relationships and provide a space for ideas and opportunities to be shared.
A promising start to what should be an exciting journey.
Photo credit to Linus Chirchir (Edinburgh Napier University and Research Data Scotland.)
Photos show Professor Iain Atherton (Edinburgh Napier University and ADR Scotland), Cidalia Eusabio (London South Bank University) and Billy Palmer (Royal College of Nursing) presenting. Panel photo includes Professor Iain Atherton, Billy Palmer and Claire McGuiness (Scottish Government).
Additional details about the group is available on our dedicated Community page. You can also check out our associated Flagship Dataset:
