Our Role in The Industry
The AHCS was established as a joint initiative of the UK Health Departments and professional bodies.
The AHCS undertakes and supports key projects including:
- Developing consistent regulation for the Healthcare Science workforce e.g. by establishing accredited voluntary registers where none exist.
- Implementing a system to assess and confer ‘equivalence’ of the existing qualifications and experience individuals have, mapped to the outcomes of formalised quality assured training programmes.
- Quality assuring education and training in partnership with other stakeholders.
- Developing common standards for Healthcare Science practise
The Register and Registration
The Academy holds a Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited voluntary register for those areas of the Healthcare Science workforce not covered by statutory registration and regulation.
Regulation of professionals aims to protect patients and is increasingly viewed as essential by patients, carers, employers, providers and commissioners. Through registration, an individual shows commitment to upholding high professional standards and to keeping their knowledge, skills and experience up-to-date through ongoing professional development.
The Accreditation quality mark signifies that the Academy has met the Professional Standards Authority’s high standards in governance, standard-setting, education and training, management of the register, complaints handling and information; assuring the public and employers.
The PSA is an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament and promotes the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, service users and the public by raising standards of regulation and voluntary registration of people working in health and care.
For more information about the Register, click here.
For more information about the PSA and benefits of accreditation, click here.
The Certificate of Attainment and Certificate of Equivalence for PTP, STP and HSST
The Academy is a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) approved education provider for the Certificate of Attainment and Certificate of Equivalence programmes for the Practitioner Training Programme, the Scientist Training Programme and the Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme.
For more information about Education & Training, click here.
The Healthcare Science Equivalence process
The Academy has established and implemented a system to deliver equivalence of individuals to the Healthcare Science career framework.
For more information about the Equivalence process, and to apply, click here
Quality assurance
The Academy has established and implemented Education and Training Standards for professional accreditation of education and training for all the major career stages of the workforce.
For more information about Quality Assurance, click here
Professional Standards
The Academy supports the Healthcare Science workforce to maintain high levels of professional standards, providing assurance to patients and within the service.
For further information, click here