A Medical Protection Society (MPS) Foundation funded research project aimed at exploring the safety, mental health and wellbeing of healthcare staff working in UK prisons, is calling on dentists to take part in the study.
Working in prison healthcare brings unique clinical, ethical, and safety challenges. Yet compared with prison officers the experiences and impact on healthcare staff, including dentists, remain less well understood.
The SMARTSTAFF project, led by the Institute of Mental Health at University of Nottingham, and supported by the MPS Foundation, hopes to change that by gathering real-world insight and identifying ways to improve support, morale, safety and retention in prison healthcare roles.
Participation involves completing four short online surveys (approximately 10 minutes each) and, for a small number of participants, an optional follow-up interview. Dentists who work or have previously worked in prison healthcare, forensic services, or secure mental health settings, are invited to take part.
Dr John Tully, Clinical Associate Professor in Forensic Psychiatry at University of Nottingham, said: “Dentists play a crucial role in prison healthcare, however prisons and other secure settings are challenging environments in which to work, with major concerns about staff safety and associated pressures on mental health. Considerable research has been undertaken on how this work impacts prison officers, however, the effects on healthcare staff in prisons have been largely overlooked.
“The SMARTSTAFF study, supported by the MPS Foundation, will address this important gap by exploring the mental health, safety, and job satisfaction of UK prison healthcare staff.
“Through online surveys we will establish for the first time a comprehensive national picture of these factors, and explore possible differences between healthcare professions, demographic factors, and type of prison. In a select group of participants, we will do extended interviews to explore the issues in more depth.
“If you are a dentist who works or has previously worked in prison healthcare, forensic services, or secure mental health settings, we’d really value your insight as part of this study. Your experience can make a real difference to the wellbeing of colleagues across the UK.”
All information given as part of the study will remain confidential and securely stored in accordance with UK data protection laws.
As a thank you, participants will be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 5 £100 retail vouchers.
For further information or to take part see: SMARTSTAFF – Safety, mental health and job satisfaction of prison healthcare staff – Institute of Mental Health
The MPS Foundation, a global not-for-profit research initiative launched in 2022 by MPS – of which Dental Protection is part – has funded more than 60 research projects worldwide so far, addressing some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges, including workforce wellbeing and patient safety risks. The 2026 grant programme is open for applications until 1 May.
