Interviewers and interview characteristics
| Interviewers | |
| Which authors conducted the interviews | BK, JB, JS, KB and MB |
| Qualifications | BK, JB (PhD), JS (MSc), MB (MA (Cantab)), KB (BSc) JB, KB (Registered Nurses) |
| Occupation at the time of study | BK: research fellow; JB, JS,KB: research associate, MB: research assistant—all university employees |
| Gender | BK, JS, JB, KB: female; MB: male |
| Training | All have had training and experience in qualitative research methodology |
| Was the interviewer already known to the study participants? | A small number of participants were acquainted with their interviewer through prior involvement in quantitative study recruitment and may have been aware of their interviewers’ background |
| Interviews | |
| Setting | Interviews were carried out in the participant’s place of work in a quiet private space |
| Who was present? | Participant and interviewer only |
| Duration | Interviews lasted between 30 and 60 min |
| Audiovisual recording | All interviews were audio recorded with participant consent |
| Consent | Consent was obtained at the time of interview or before if conducted by telephone |
| Confidentiality | Interviewees were assured of anonymity and confidentiality for themselves and their organisation |
| Transcription | Interviews were centrally transcribed and checked for accuracy by site researchers |
| Field notes | Field notes were recorded following the interview to add context to the analysis |
| Repeat interviews | No repeat interviews were deemed necessary |
| Post interview contact | All participants were given contact details for any further thoughts or comments they wanted to add after the interview |