Healthcare science
Healthcare science
About 50,000 healthcare scientists work in the NHS, carrying out a variety of vital duties that range from disease diagnosis to rehabilitation engineering. They play a major part in providing health services at the cutting edge of technological advance, innovation, diagnostic and therapeutic science. Healthcare scientists work in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, in both the NHS and private healthcare.
The forty plus professions, groups and disciplines within healthcare science are grouped into three main sections, based primarily on the underlying branch of science from which they originate.
Life Sciences: which includes all the pathology related groups
Physical Sciences: hospital physicists and photographers etc...
Physiological Sciences: pulmonary function, audiology, cardiology, etc...
All three divisions have practitioners in bands ranging from 3/2 to 9.
The Federation for Healthcare Science was formed in 2002 as an overarching body for the professional organisations representing healthcare scientists. The Federation provides a collective voice for science in the health service to the government, other health care professionals and to members of the public.
The IBMS provides the secretariat with the Federation's formal address being 12 Coldbath Square.
Healthcare science careers pathway
The Department of Health launched the healthcare scientists career pathway in November 2005. The career pathway supports the healthcare science workforce in fulfilling their potential and establishing clearly defined, nationally consistent progression pathways.
Of particular importance is the removal of professional barriers, allowing new opportunities for healthcare scientists to develop consultant roles - "the 'consultant practitioner' career framework stage will be extended across healthcare science employment groups in line with service need."
The framework links with and supports the implementation of Agenda for Change and encompasses the development of healthcare scientists in post and throughout their careers in conjunction with the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework. Stages in the career framework are mapped to Agenda for Change pay bands and competencies as determined by the National Occupational Standards (NOS) Project in healthcare science.
Further information and documents
A career framework for healthcare scientists in the NHS Links includes Career framework for healthcare scientists in the NHS: A functional guide Healthcare scientists career framework: Supporting agenda for change documentation
Federation for Healthcare Science
Tags: Professional & workforce