Information about applying for the NHS Science Training Programme. Presentation delivered on Thursday 8 December.

1. Considering a career as a Health
Care scientist?
Joanna nightingale – Head of Health Care Science

2. UK Life Sciences Strategy
Suite of incentives to ensure UK attracts
world-leading talent, develops scientific
excellence and offers exciting careers
Commitment to MSC and development of
skills in innovation, research and
development, and effective partnership
working with industry.
NHS CEO Innovation Report
•Focused on invention, adoption
and diffusion
•Innovation hard wired into
curricula, training and
competency frameworks
•NHS Innovation fellowship
scheme
•Academic Healthscience
networks
Government values science in UK

3. The NHS belongs to the people.
It is there to improve our health and well-being, supporting us to keep mentally
and physically well, to get better when we are ill and, when we cannot fully
recover, to stay as well as we can to the end of our lives.
It works at the limits of science – bringing the highest levels of human
knowledge and skill to save lives and improve health. It touches our lives at
times of basic human need, when care and compassion are what matter most.
The shared vision for the NHS

4. • The NHS Outcomes Framework
made simple
If you were seriously unwell, what would you
be likely to want?
1.To have your life saved
2.To have a good quality of life thereafter
3.To recover quickly
4.To have a good experience of care from the NHS
5.To be treated safely

5.  Healthcare Scientists account for approximately 5% of the total
workforce in the UK
 80% of all diagnoses can be attributed to their work
 Scientific and technological advances provide opportunity to
improve the quality of care
 New models of integrated care for patients require the Healthcare
Science workforce role to change
 Scientific careers need to be modernised to equip staff with the
right skills and knowledge for 21st
Century care.
Who are the health care scientists?

6. Healthcare Science: At the forefront of
meeting future NHS challenges
• Genetic Profiling & Therapeutic Targeting
• Proton beam therapy & novel treatments
• Integrated & multimodality imaging
• Frugal & hand held technologies
• High speed informatics & cooling technology
• Data fusion & bioinformatics
• Stem cell research & new science
• Prosthetics, regeneration & bio-engineering
• Personalised physiological models

7. Definition of healthcare science workforce
The non medical healthcare science workforce applies science,
technology, engineering and mathematics in the fields of biology,
microbiology, physiology, medical physics and clinical engineering
specifically within the health sector (inclusive of the NHS, Public Health
England and National Blood and Transplant) to deliver improved health
outcomes and health protection for people and communities.
As a whole, the healthcare science workforce works within and across
specialist areas of scientific practice to provide the skills, knowledge,
advice and expertise to develop, deliver and support services, through
specialist investigations and/or interventions for the diagnosis, treatment,
and management of disease and the control and prevention of disease or
harmful infectious and environmental agents. It makes a significant
contribution to the innovation pathway, from invention through to
translational research, adoption and to diffusion and to knowledge
management

8. Life Sciences
• Analytical Toxicology
• Anatomical pathology
• Blood transfusion
science/transplantation
• Clinical biochemistry including
paediatric metabolic
biochemistry
• Clinical genetics/Genetic
Science
• Clinical embryology &
Reproductive Science
• Clinical immunology
• Cytopathology including
cervical cytology
• Electron microscopy
• External quality assurance
• Haematology
• Haemostasis and thrombosis
• Clinical Immunology
• Histocompatibility &
immunogenetics
• Histopathology
• Microbiology
• Molecular pathology of
acquired disease
• Phlebotomy
• Tissue banking
Physiological Sciences
• Audiology
• Autonomic neurovascular function
• Cardiac physiology
• Clinical perfusion science
• Critical care science
• Gastrointestinal physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Ophthalmic and vision science
• Respiratory physiology
• Urodynamic science
• Vascular science
Physical Sciences and
Biomedical Engineering
• Biomechanical engineering
• Clinical measurement &
Development
• Clinical Pharmaceutical Science
• Diagnostic radiology & MR physics
• Equipment management & clinical
engineering
• Medical electronics &
instrumentation
• Medical engineering design
• Clinical photography
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiation protection & monitoring
• Radiotherapy physics
• Reconstructive Science
• Rehabilitation engineering
• Renal dialysis technology
• Ultrasound & non-ionising radiation
Many of these disciplines require small workforce numbers and
provide highly specialist services. These specialisms are within the
health and social care system in the UK inclusive of the NHS, Public
Health England and the NHS Blood &Transplant service and in the
private & third sector delivering NHS services for patients
Bioinformatics including
• Clinical Bioinformatics and Genomics
• Computer science and modelling
• Health Informatics
Apr 2013
Themed Healthcare Science Divisions

9. The MSC programme will deliver a nationally defined curriculum /
standardised specifications
Associate
/Assistant
Associate
/Assistant
Scientist
Training
Programme
Scientist
Training
Programme
Practitioner
Training
Programme
Practitioner
Training
Programme
Higher Specialist
Scientific
Training
Higher Specialist
Scientific
Training
National learning and development framework with modular approach
Vocational awards for Assistants and Foundation Degrees for
Associates. Major workplace training component
National learning and development framework with modular approach
Vocational awards for Assistants and Foundation Degrees for
Associates. Major workplace training component
3 year programme which will comprise separately delivered and
awarded, academic and workplace-based components leading to an
MSc and a Certificate of Achievement
3 year programme which will comprise separately delivered and
awarded, academic and workplace-based components leading to an
MSc and a Certificate of Achievement
3 year BSc (Hons) programme which will integrate academic and
workplace based elements (approx 50 weeks of workplace training)
3 year BSc (Hons) programme which will integrate academic and
workplace based elements (approx 50 weeks of workplace training)
A 4/5 year work based training programme similar to SpR training and
leading to medical college examinations where these exist and
possibly a doctoral award
A 4/5 year work based training programme similar to SpR training and
leading to medical college examinations where these exist and
possibly a doctoral award
Training through Modernising Scientific Careers

10. e MSC UK Model for Career and Training Pathways in Healthcare
ence

19. How to apply:
• Visit the website for the National School for Healthcare Science:
• http://www.nshcs.org.uk/stp-recruitment
• Candidates can follow the School on Twitter @NSHCS
• Also NHS Careers Website
• http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/healthcare-science/educa
• Previously advertised in New Scientist

20. • Competition Ratio 2016 - STP
Specialism Applied
No of posts
Direct Entry Competition ratio
Audiology 129 12 10.75
Cardiac Science 546 25 21.84
Clinical Biochemistry 648 21 30.85714286
Clinical Bioinformatics (Genomics) 181 11 16.45454545
Clinical Bioinformatics (Health informatics) 35 1 35
Clinical Bioinformatics(Physical Sciences) 42 8 5.25
Clinical Engineering 199 8 24.875
Clinical Immunology 323 4 80.75
Clinical Pharmaceutical Science 153 3 51
Gastrointestinal Physiology 26 4 6.5
Genomic Counselling (formerly Genetic
Counselling) 368 15 24.53333333
Genomics (formerly Genetics) 766 24 31.91666667
Haematology & Transfusion Science 334 8 41.75
Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics 85 3 28.33333333
Histopathology 93 2 46.5
Medical Physics 504 62 8.129032258
Microbiology 442 9 49.11111111
Neurophysiology 272 8 34
Reproductive Science 283 7 40.42857143
Respiratory & Sleep Sciences 152 10 15.2
Urodynamic Science 8 1 8
Vascular Science 179 12 14.91666667
Total 5768 258 22.35658915
There are
approximately on
average 22
applicants to every
STP post (2016).
In 2014 the figure
was 31 applicants
to every STP post
and in the 2015
the figure was 26
applicants to every
STP post.
*Yellow highlights
most popular
specialisms.

21. Application Login

22. Competency Questions

23. Interview process: “speed dating”
• Held in Midlands
• 4 workstations, 10 mins / station
• Multiple Mini Interviews, 2 assessors /station
• Scientific specialism, communication & leadership style

24. What happens next?
• Informed by NSHCS of success / unsuccessful May / June
• Informed of host organisation & contact name for local recruitment
• Candidate supplies reference and supporting documentation to local
NHS provider for CRB & health clearance
• Start in local Trust September
• University attendance block or day release
• Starting salary £26K
• Employed for 3 years whilst undertaking sponsored MSc, workplace
competency evidence portfolio and finals – OSFA
• If successful, application to HCPC for registration as Clinical
Scientist

25. The vision for the healthcare science workforce
in UK
To have a world class workforce that :
– Raises the profile and awareness of contribution
of scientific services to improving outcomes
– Are active contributors the UK strategy for the Life
Sciences and more broadly to science in health
and society
– Continually evaluates clinical scientific and
technological practice to ensure it remains at the
cutting edge
– Delivers excellence in knowledge creation,
invention, innovation and its adoption
– Works in partnerships with patients and other
professionals, including as clinical leaders

26. Innovation and Technology

27. INVENTION EVALUATION ADOPTION
Creation
• new things
• new ideas
• new techniques
• new approaches
Assessment
• new things
• new ideas
• new techniques
• new approaches
Uptake
• new things
• new ideas
• new techniques
• new approaches
DIFFUSION
Spread
• new things
• new ideas
• new techniques
• new approaches
Basic Research
Applied
Research
Commissioning Patient Care
• Better Quality
• Better Value
•Health and Wealth
NIHR
NHS
Commissioners
MRC & others
incl Charities
Providers of
NHS services
HCS meeting the challenge:
the Innovation Pathway

28. Vision drives science
If I have seen further, it is because I
am standing on the shoulder of
giants
Sir Isaac Newton