Widening Participation from the Ground Up: Early Intervention in Primary Education to Improve Healthcare Opportunities
Access to medical careers has historically been limited for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. While widening participation (WP) efforts have primarily focused on secondary education, early career aspirations often develop between the ages of 9 and 11, making primary school interventions crucial. However, the impact of early healthcare exposure on children from WP backgrounds remains underexplored. To address this gap, we implemented a healthcare career intervention for Key Stage 2 (KS2) children from deprived communities, identified using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and POLAR4. The intervention consisted of three interactive sessions covering heart anatomy and function, CPR training, and healthcare role-play scenarios. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were used to assess changes in knowledge, skills, and career aspirations. Ethnicity was classified using standardised demographic categories. Our findings demonstrated significant improvements in children's knowledge of heart function (p<0.001), CPR (p<0.001), and healthcare roles (p<0.001), as assessed by Likert-scale questionnaires. Career aspirations also increased, with the percentage of children considering a healthcare career rising from 37% pre-intervention to 49% post-intervention (p<0.05). Learning CPR and other healthcare skills at an early age is valuable for all children but may be particularly impactful for those in disadvantaged communities, who often face greater health inequalities. The workshops also provided medical students with practical experience in engaging with children, highlighting potential benefits for broader healthcare student involvement. Despite aligning with the curriculum, school engagement proved challenging, underscoring the need for government-backed initiatives to integrate healthcare workshops into primary education. Introducing structured healthcare education at an early stage may help address inequalities in career access while equipping children with essential life-saving skills.
