Vox: March 2015
Welcome to Vox – The newsletter bringing the latest information and updates from the Academy for Healthcare Science, together with news from across the Healthcare Science profession.
Come and talk to us at the Chief Scientific Officer’s #HCS15 Conference
The Academy for Healthcare Science will be well-represented at the Chief Scientific Officer’s #HCS15 Healthcare Science – Making it Happen annual conference in London on 16 & 17 March.
Do come along and talk to us on the Academy stand, or join the session on Accreditation and Quality Assurance which is being led by AHCS Registrar Dr Kerry Tinkler. We’ll also be tweeting from the sessions, so follow us on @AHCSuk if you’re not able to come along to the conference.
Delivering a Higher Specialist Scientist Register
We’ve had an impressive response to the consultation on Standards of Proficiency for a Higher Specialist Scientist Register, that closed earlier this month. We are now working our way through these responses and aim to publish a formal analysis and Academy response within the next month. Much work was carried out previously on the HSST programme by the Professional Bodies and Royal Colleges, individual professionals, service users, the National School of Healthcare Science and the Modernising Scientific Careers team before these standards were developed and we have had a positive response from key stakeholders during this consultation process.
The development process for this part of the Register is continuing and we are still on track to open to our first registrants later in the summer.
Academy seeks to appoint first President.
The AHCS is looking to appoint a President, to become the chief professional representative of the Academy, representing the collective views of the profession to government, other stakeholders and the media. The President will be appointed through an open recruitment process with applications due in by 31 March 2015.
Regulator watchdog stresses value of registers such as the Academy Register
Harry Cayton CBE, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Agency for Health and Social Care (PSA) – the organisation that oversees both statutory and voluntary regulation in the UK – has made a strong defence of the value of accredited registers in protecting patients.
In an article for the Health Service Journal, he stressed how registers such as the Academy Register drove a professional commitment to improvement and quality by the tens of thousands of people who work in health and care saying “we can ask why any NHS organisation would employ, commission services from or refer to a practitioner who has chosen not to join [an accredited register]”.
The PSA’s first report on the Accredited Registers system has set out the value they bring to professions such as Healthcare Science by giving service users, employers and commissioners the confidence they need to use a wider range of healthcare professionals
From around Healthcare Science
Healthcare Science Week 2015 is here – 13-22 March
A series of resources are available to support Healthcare Science teams taking part in Healthcare Science Week (13-22 March). This year sees programme of activity across the country to engage young people in the work of the scientific professionals across the NHS.
Apply now for the latest round of Clinical Academic awards
The new Health Education England (HEE)/ National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) Programme has just been launched, building of the success of the previous CSO Healthcare Science Fellowships.
All five levels of the award scheme are now open to Healthcare Scientists, from internships to Senior Clinical Lectureships. Closing date for applications is 31 May 2015.
Have your say on training capacity with the national training survey
Health Education England (HEE) and the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) are asking department managers and service leads to respond to an online survey to identify the potential for improvement in training capacity for Healthcare Science. The survey aims to better understand the factors acting as stimulants or barriers to any departments or laboratories undertaking training at the various Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) framework levels. Closing date 31 March 2015.
London attracts school students to Healthcare Science with third year of Reach Out programme
The third year of London’s acclaimed ‘Reach Out for Healthcare Science’ schools outreach programme will run through June and July 2015, giving 300 students getting the chance to experience the range of Healthcare Science work and opportunities across some of the city’s teaching hospitals and their partners..
Latest Scottish Healthcare Science Noticeboard newsletter now available
The latest newsletter from NHS Education for Scotland is now available includinng the move towards a deanery-like function for Healthcare Science in Scotland, NES’s work with the Academy for Healthcare Science and Scottish Government appointments
Assesment Manager sought for IQIPS Assessment scheme
UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) are advertising for an Assessment Manager for the IQIPS accreditation scheme (Improving Quality In Physiology Services). The role involves managing assessments for a portfolio of physiology services and for supporting organisations through their accreditation. Closing date 25 March 2015.
