Wednesday 8 February 2022
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Welcome to the first Healthcare science bulletin of 2023. I wanted to start by acknowledging the tremendous amount of work delivered in healthcare science. Every year you support over a billion scientific investigations and treatment interventions. We know that pressure across the NHS remains high and the 2023/24 operational planning guidance and delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services both set out ways to tackle the immediate priority of recovering our core services and productivity.
Whilst much of the current focus is on frontline services, the role of healthcare science remains key. Your work, the work of your teams and the work of our partners is vital to diagnosing patients quickly and accurately, maintaining medical equipment and working in new and innovative ways.
As we approach spring, we are busy preparing for Healthcare Science Week, 13-19 March 2023 - an opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of our diverse workforce. Registration is now open for my Healthcare Science Week webinar and you can find more information on how to get involved in this bulletin.
This issue also celebrates National Apprenticeship Week 2023 by shining a spotlight on the Staffordshire University Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship Course. We also introduce two new training programmes in respiratory science and sleep medicine, hosted by the National School of Healthcare Science.
Best wishes,
Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer, NHS England
A spotlight on...Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeships
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2023, we asked Ian Davies about his role as the Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship Course Lead at Staffordshire University.
Can you tell us a bit about the degree apprenticeship? The apprenticeship was developed in partnership with local NHS laboratories in 2017 and aims to increase sustainability within biomedical scientist workforce planning.
By integrating the Healthcare Science Practitioner apprenticeship standards within an Institute of Biomedical Science accredited, and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) approved degree programme, we support Trusts in developing pathology support workers to the point of HCPC registration, boosting local staff retention and succession planning. We have degree apprenticeship students from 35 NHS Trusts and pathology providers across England, forming a connected community of academics, practice educators and students.
What’s the most rewarding part of your role? Seeing students grow and develop to the point of graduation, then following their career journey. Every student has their own journey, especially within degree apprenticeships where they experience a variety of educational and life experiences – watching them develop as they balance work, families and their studies, reflect on their individual journeys and cross the graduation stage is an absolute privilege.
What benefits can an apprentice bring to the NHS, its staff and patients? Our aim has always been to develop biomedical scientists not just with the education and competence required for practice, but who are also agile, resourceful and able to recognise opportunities to develop services for the patient and lead the next generation of healthcare scientists.
Register for your place at the launch event for the 2023 Staffordshire University Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship, Friday 10 February, 2-3pm. Visit the National School of Healthcare Science for more information about healthcare science apprenticeships.
Latest updates
Healthcare Science Week, 13-19 March 2023
This annual event brings together over 50 scientific specialisms and professional groups to celebrate and raise awareness of this diverse NHS workforce. The week gives us the opportunity to showcase the vital role healthcare science has played over the 75 year history of the NHS and inspire the scientific workforce of the future.
How can I get involved? Tell us about your NHS healthcare science journey - We’re building a collection of staff and service/project profiles to share across the week and want to hear from you. If you would like to share your story, please email England.cso@nhs.net.
Follow @WeHCScientists and use #HCSWeek2023, download campaign materials (available soon), register for the CSO's webinar and subscribe to receive the Healthcare Science Week bulletin. For more ideas visit our website and don’t forget to let us know what you’ve got planned so we can help promote your activity through our national channels. Email England.cso@nhs.net and/or contact your regional and trust healthcare science leads.
Two new training programmes in respiratory science and sleep medicine
We are excited to announce two new training programmes within respiratory and sleep science, developed in response to Professor Sir Mike Richards’ Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal report and the NHS Long Term plan. Funding for the programmes was secured by the Diagnostics Workforce bid (co-chaired by NHS England and National School of Healthcare Science), NHS England’s Chief Scientific Officer, Physiological Science Transformation team, and developed with stakeholders from the NHS workforce and professional bodies. Training grants and academic fees will be provided to employers by HEE.
Graduate Diploma in Respiratory Science – a formalised, quality assured condensed programme taking trainees with related undergraduate degrees to the level of someone completing the Practitioner Training Programme (PTP).
Post Graduate Certificate in Sleep Medicine - designed to support the delivery of services by different staff in different settings, by providing advanced integrated sleep training to colleagues from a wide range of healthcare professions to deliver a clinical role in a chronically understaffed specialism.
Find out more about the offer, who the education provider will be and how to apply at this webinar from the School on Wednesday 15 March, 1.30-3pm. This is a follow up webinar to the session held on Thursday 2 February.
Inside Poole Hospital's Maxillofacial Prosthetics clinic
BBC South highlight the life changing work of maxillofacial prosthetists. Poole Hospital support more than 40 people who have gone through cancer or serious trauma resulting in the loss of a body part. In this clip patients and healthcare science staff talk about the impact this has on their lives.
Healthcare scientists recognised in New Year Honours
Congratulations to healthcare scientists who received a 2023 New Year Honour, including Professor Lyn Chitty who was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Professor Dame Lyn has been a driving force in bringing genomic testing to patients across the North Thames, including through her direction of the 100,000 Genomes Project and the establishment of the genomic medicine service in the region. She is the UK’s only Professor of Genetics and Fetal Medicine and has pioneered research into rapid and non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, offering families lower risk options to find out about the health of their unborn child.
If you are thinking about nominating someone for the King’s Birthday Honours in June 2023 and would like endorsement from Professor Dame Sue Hill, please email England.cso@nhs.net.
Refresh of the North West Healthcare Science Network
Helen Liggett, North West (NW) Regional Healthcare Science Lead for NHS England is leading a refresh of the NW Healthcare Science Network to align its vision and objectives to NW health system priority programmes. The network will be a valuable resource for all regional stakeholders and support national programmes of work eg genomics and antimicrobial resistance. Consisting of lead healthcare scientists from every NW Trust, the network will provide excellence in innovation and service improvement by leading and embracing research and development, and continually evaluating clinical practice and care delivery models for high quality patient care. If you would like to join the network please get in touch with Helen Ligget.
News from across NHS England and our partners
Review of the Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) Curriculum
The ETP began in 2020 and with the third cohort underway the School is keen to learn from experiences both delivering and following the programme to make sure the curriculum is fit for purpose. The first step of the review is to gather feedback from everyone involved in the programme. The information you provide will be used by the curriculum review group to review and redevelop the curriculum. The School are particularly pleased to hear views from graduates of the programme. Please share the survey with anyone you think would want to give feedback. Survey closes end February 2023.
WISE to pilot new leadership mentoring scheme
Mentors will receive a training workshop and resource pack to help them support aspiring leadership mentees. Upon completion of the training workshop, you will be assigned a mentee from one of their leading academic members. Example roles of mentees include Lecturer, Assistant/Associate Professor, Teaching Fellow, and Research Associate.
Mentors are asked to commit to one six-month relationship with a WISE mentee. The dates and times for mentoring sessions are to be mutually agreed between mentors and mentees. Visit the WISE website for further information, selection criteria and to register your interest.
Join the NHS1000 miles challenge
The NHS’s 75th birthday will take place during 2023 and people across the country are being asked to join the NHS1000 mile challenge to mark the occasion. Those taking part can walk, run, swim or cycle (or a combination) the distance of 1,000 miles in the year, an average of 2.74 miles per day.
Participants are encouraged to keep a record of their weekly miles and are invited to share their progress on Twitter on Sunday nights at 7.30pm using the hashtag #NHS1000miles. As well as being a great way to mark the birthday, physical activity is good for your body and mind. And it’s completely free to take part in NHS1000miles. For more information, visit our website.
Five new CORE20PLUS5 e-learning modules
Designed to support healthcare professionals narrow health inequalities and improve outcomes. The e-learning modules cover five clinical priority areas from the CORE20PLUS5 programme: hypertension, early cancer diagnosis, chronic respiratory disease, maternity and severe mental illness. The modules are aimed at anyone with a responsibility or interest in reducing health inequalities. Each module takes around 30 minutes to complete. The modules are available for free on the HEE E-learning for health platform.
Dates for your diary
- Opening 14 February 2023. Higher Specialist Scientist Training 2023, find out more.
- 15 February, 3-4pm and 17 March, 11am-12pm. Academy for Healthcare Science, Equivalence drop-in sessions. An opportunity to find out more about the application process, portfolios, interview support, or any other queries you may have.
- Closing 17 February 2023. The Darzi Fellowship 2023/24 aims to develop future clinical leaders by combining work-based experience, working on a fellowship challenge and academic study (PGCert Leadership in Health (Darzi)).
- 22 February, 2pm. Biomedical scientist empowerment, enducation and disussion group. This session will ask - should we be using O D positive red cells for males, aged over 18, in emergency situations to conserve O D negative red cells for patients for whom there is no alternative?
- 13-19 March 2023. Healthcare Science Week. Register for the CSO's webinar, on 15 March, download materials (available soon), follow @WeHCScientists and use #HCSWeek2023.
- 27 March, 10am-4.30pm. National School of Healthcare Science, Education and training collaborative meeting, Birmingham. Register for your place.
- 30 March, 9am-4pm. Health Education England’s East of England Healthcare Science Conference, Cambridge. Register for your place.
- 14-15 June 2023. NHS ConfedExpo 2023, Manchester. Book your pass today as NHS Confederation and NHS England bring together health and care leaders and their teams at one of the biggest and most significant health and care conferences.
Link of the issue
Recent publications highlighting ongoing work from the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer to improve the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI's) and the blood culture pathway.
ARTICLE: Royal College of Pathology. NHS England's recent report outlined the key steps and recommendations necessary for the NHS to lead the world in setting the standard for blood culture practices.
ARTICLE: Bladder Health UK and NHS England collaborate to improve the diagnosis of UTIs. Please note, you will need a FutureNHS login to access this article.