Third year of Reach Out healthcare science schools programme starts Jun 2015
The third year of London’s acclaimed ‘Reach Out for Healthcare Science’ schools outreach programme will run through June and July 2015 with 300 GCSE students getting the chance to experience the range of Healthcare Science work and opportunities.
Reach Out for Healthcare Science is a London based outreach programme designed to increase young people’s awareness of the diverse range of career opportunities in Healthcare Science. One of the largest of its kind in the UK, its vision is to maximise the likelihood of young people from diverse backgrounds entering Healthcare Science professions.
The Programme is designed to provide Year 10 students with an opportunity to experience life as a healthcare scientist in a busy London hospital, in a framework that minimises service disruption and maximises the training and support needed to allow Healthcare Scientists to showcase their speciality, inspire students and increase their ability and confidence to deliver outreach activities. Activities take place over 3 London regions, with each area taking a cohort of 100 students for a week long experience which includes:
- scientific demonstrations,
- hands on experience of a wide range of Healthcare Science disciplines,
- keynote lectures
- a student poster session involving presentations to their peers, parents and teachers
Recognising the barriers to Healthcare Science careers facing young people, the ‘Reach out for Healthcare Science’ programme was started in 2013 as a Department of Health funded pilot by the Chief Scientific Officer Professor Sue Hill, in collaboration with the science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry OBE and Alan West MBE, Chief Executive of Exscitec, an organisation specialising in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) outreach activities.Now in its third year over 150 Healthcare Scientists, science communicators and student ambassadors, 9 NHS Trusts, 3 Universities, 3 LETBs, and 3 AHSCs come together in a shared vision to support the long-term demographic diversification of the healthcare scientist workforce in London.
This year’s programme will run from
- 22nd – 26th June 2015 across North West London
- 29th June – 3rd July 2015 across South London
- 6th – 10th July across North Central and East London
To get involved or consider a similar programme in your area please contact alexandra.milsom@nhs.net. More information is available from the Exscitec website at https://www.exscitec.com/news/index.asp
Reach Out for Healthcare 2015 Team
Exscitec: CEO Alan West MBE; Programme Lead Emma Page
Executive: Dr Kerry Tinkler, Lead Scientist, The Royal Free Hospital and Registrar and Director of Standards, Academy for Healthcare Science
Healthcare Science Programme Advisor: Dr Keith Ison OBE, Head of Medical Physics, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Head of Public Engagement; Vivienne Parry OBE, Science Broadcaster and Writer and Head of Engagement at Genomics England
Health Education England: Gary Dakin, Healthcare Science and AHP Lead
Healthcare Science Trainee Representative: Aarti Makan, HCS Darzi Fellow
Regional Lead Scientist (NCEL): Ved Ramnani, Deputy Lead Scientist The Royal Free
Regional Lead Scientist (NWL): Elizabeth Davidson, Clinical Scientist, Imperial College Healthcare Trust
Regional Lead Scientist (SL): Richard Fernandez, Clinical Scientist, Department of Medical Physics, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital
London Lead Scientist: Dr Alexandra B Milsom, Scientific Projects Lead, NHS England (London Region)
Funder: Health Education North Central and East London
Programme partners:
Health Education North West London; Health Education South London; Imperial College London; King’s College London; University College London; Bart’s Health NHS Trust; Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust; Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust; Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; The Doctors Laboratory; Viapath; King’s Health Partners; UCL Partners; Imperial College Health Partners; NHS England; Academy for Healthcare Science; London Scientific and Diagnostic Network.
