Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Strategic workforce planning is a priority for health and social care, and the city of Leeds is focused on localised planning to balance supply and demand and develop this based on changing needs of the system. There are gaps in data required for Occupational Therapy (OT) workforce modelling; therefore, we need to find out whether proxy data exist that can support this activity in Leeds. METHOD: This scoping review appraised existing OT workforce literature from five academic databases using a three-staged approach, capturing any degree of data relating to OT workforce from the last 10 years; evidence-based workforce data to be applied to workforce planning where actual workforce data is unavailable. RESULTS: We included nine papers in this scoping review, organising available data under three headings: current capacity of OT workforce, OT workforce entering the health and care system and returning to practice OTs and outflows reflecting turnover data. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrated significant gaps in available workforce data for Occupational Therapists to support collaborative workforce planning in the Leeds Health and Care System. The available data vary hugely limiting opportunities for proxy data utilisation. Improved consistency and quality of OT data are crucial to support future workforce planning.