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Modernising Scientific Careers
The UK health departments in the UK’s devolved countries are currently developing important proposals concerning the redesign and redefinition of healthcare scientist careers via a generic career model.
In England, the policy for the modernisation of scientific careers was set out in the Next Stage Review documents High Quality Care and A High Quality Workforce, published in 2008. In Scotland, the development of healthcare science follows Better Health Better Care, and is set out in Safe Accurate and Effective: An Action Plan for Healthcare Science in NHS Scotland, both published in 2007. In Wales, Designed to Work (July 2006) identified the need for modernisation of professions in order to create a sustainable workforce for the future and this is further developed for pathology staff in Future Delivery of Pathology Services (2008)
In November 2008, a UK consultation document The Future of the Healthcare Science Workforce Modernising Scientific Careers: The Next Steps was published which set out more comprehensive proposals to transform the future training and career pathways of the healthcare science workforce. This statement sets out the direction of travel following the closure of consultation on 6 March 2009.
Over 900 responses to the proposals from individuals, employers, professional bodies, education providers and others were received, and a full independent analysis of the responses is now being conducted.
In February 2010 the Department of Health released Modernising Scientific Careers: The UK Way Forward to inform key stakeholders of the strategy for the development of the healthcare science workforce and their education and training as initially outlined in A High Quality Workforce. It sets out how it is intended to take forward proposals on career pathways, regulation and standards of education and training, education and training programmes and on supporting delivery. The IBMS released a statement on The UK Way Forward in early March 2010.
Consultation links (consultation finished March 2009)
IBMS response to MSC consultation
"The Institute has considered at length the consultation document Modernising Scientific Careers: The Next Steps."
IBMS position statement
"Modernising Scientific Careers intends to change the qualifying and training systems in the future for all healthcare scientists which, of course, includes every biomedical scientist post."
Modernising Scientific Careers - the key points
The key points are based on a mix of feedback from oral presentations and the Darzi document. Although various flow diagrams are unofficially in the public domain, there is no formal consultation document available. It is understood that final documentation is scheduled for publication, without formal consultation, in late November this year.
Healthcare science - the key facts
Healthcare Science in the NHS incorporates all staff working in areas that are involved in Science and Technology and includes such diverse job roles as pulmonary function clinical scientists, hospital physicists, phlebotomists, anatomical pathology technologists, biomedical scientists, clinical photographers and so on.
Federation for Healthcare Science: position statement
The Federation for Healthcare Science (FHCS) is an overarching body for 40 professional organisations representing healthcare scientists in the Life Sciences, Physiological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Clinical Engineering.