Equality and diversity: Improving the working lives of doctors
Research undertaken for BMA Northern Ireland
April 2006
3 Methodology
A postal questionnaire was sent to all employed BMA(NI) members working in the hospital grades – this included junior doctors, staff and associate specialists and consultants.
In terms of design and user friendliness the questionnaire was produced through consultation on its various ‘drafts’. This consultation involved the Chair of BMA(NI) Council and the Chairs of the various committees of BMA(NI); key staff within BMA(NI); DHSSPSNI; BMA Legal Department and Health Policy and Economic Research Unit (HPERU); and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The final ‘draft’ of the questionnaire was piloted with a number of doctors from the hospital grades and further minor amendments were made before the final version of the questionnaire was sent to the target survey audience.
In terms of structure, the questionnaire was divided into four sections: section one addressed questions relating to the respondent’s equality training, access to work life balance policies and perceived less favourable treatment; section two addressed training in relation to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; section three focused on the role of BMA(NI); and section four sought appropriate demographic information to assist with the analysis.
A letter outlining the aims of the survey and assuring anonymity was written by the Chair BMA(NI) Council and enclosed with the questionnaire. A further letter was sent from BMA(NI) to chief executives of employer organisations to advise them of the then ‘pending’ survey of all employed BMA(NI) members in the hospital grades.
A total of 2022 questionnaires were sent to members and a total of 303 completed questionnaires were returned from members. This represented a response rate of 15%. Data from the completed questionnaires received was inputted and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). This data has been retained should BMA(NI) decide to undertake further analysis, particularly more in-depth multi-variable analysis and comparative analysis of perceived discrimination with official statistics on levels of discrimination.