Healthcare scientists are increasingly organising local groups to liaise with trusts, strategic health authorities and workforce confederations.

Below are practical ideas for developing groups and many of these have been put into practice already in one or more organisations. Some of the actions below will set how the Federation will advise NHS and other organisations on taking forward the healthcare science agenda.

Healthcare Scientists Strategy Taking Shape:
Scientists in Health Achieving Professional Excellence
This strategy represents an approach to the development of healthcare science, and healthcare scientists at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trusts with the ultimate aim of improving patient care. (Dated: October 204)

Other healthcare scientists may find this a useful source of ideas when talking to their trust or strategic health authority.

Case study: healthcare scientist developments in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester SHA’s ongoing Healthcare Scientist Project has recently initiated two more key projects which are both supported by bespoke development programmes. (Includes pdf leaflet: Creating a Healthcare Scientist Network
for Greater Manchester.)

1. Trust or Organisational level

• Encourage establishment of a HCS Forum within individual trusts or organisations
• Encourage involvement of human resources departments in HCS Forums
• Encourage HCS within a trust to establish contact with the full range of HCS staff, and with other clinical and professional groups
• Encourage professional representation of HCS at the highest managerial level in trusts/organisations
• Encourage the creation of a HCS email forum within trusts (and between local Trusts) to facilitate local communications and raise the awareness of healthcare science at a local level
• Encourage active local HCS participation in HCS Awareness Week, and other similar activities.

2. Strategic Health Authorities/Workforce Development Confederations in England / Equivalent groups in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

• Ask for a lead HCS support and for HCS group representation (if not already established)
• Provide information on workforce planning and education and training needs of HCS to the SHA/WDC

3. FHCS Support at Local Level

• Communicate options/experiences to HCS at trust level of what is working in different places nationally
• Communicate HCS and the existence of the Federation to WDC’s (bring HCS Awareness Week to their attention)
• Provide information on the nature of WDC funding and how this may be accessed

Developing a local area Healthcare Science Group – a Case Study

South East London Strategic Health Authority is home to several acute trusts, including two large teaching hospitals. Healthcare scientists at different trusts have increasingly been working together on common issues and a number of networks have been operating for some years around shared training, the development of protocols, pathology modernisation and other projects. The development of healthcare science as a recognisable part of the workforce over the late 1990's culminated in the first Healthcare Science Awareness Week in 2002. This brought together healthcare scientists from different professions within trusts, and encouraged the formation of links between them at trust level. By the end of 2002, groups of healthcare scientists had begun to form in a number of trusts, either meeting independently or linked to Allied Health Profession groups.

The formation of Workforce Development Confederations changed arrangements for funding training and education. Various groups of healthcare scientists made independent approaches to the WDC regarding staff training and development, but there was no coordinated local approach. With the emergence of healthcare science as a recognisable group, the South East London WDC recognised the need to develop local provision for this group and appointed a local healthcare science lead.

Once appointed, the Healthcare Science Lead in South East London made contact with training and development departments in the different trusts in the sector. The Healthcare Science Lead had exploratory meetings with local developing trust healthcare science groups early in 2003 and the first informal meeting of a sector-wide Healthcare Science Group (HCSG) was held in Spring 2003. Initial membership and terms of reference were agreed, and the WDC Chief Executive contacted all 14 trust Chief Executives in the sector to ask for formal representation on the HCSG. Regular meetings are now being held and various workstreams are being taken forward. The HCSG is recognised by the SHA/WDC as a reference for healthcare science issues and the chair of the group now sits on the WDC Board.

Hospital/Trust Healthcare Scientist Groups: Possible Terms of Reference

1. To develop awareness of healthcare scientist roles and identity within the trust.

2. To encourage and share best practice amongst healthcare scientists in service delivery, service and workforce development, and R&D.

3. To develop and support strategies for the recruitment, employment and retention of healthcare scientists.

4. To encourage and assist in the development of training programmes (pre-and post-registration) for healthcare scientists including those which relate to the Knowledge and Skills Framework.

5. To encourage and support Continuing Professional Development across the HCS workforce.

6. To consider issues relating to the state registration of healthcare scientists.

7. To assist the trust or Workforce Development Confederation in workforce planning for healthcare scientists.

8. To represent healthcare scientists in the trust and provide representation to trust and external groups.

9. To liaise with HCS groups in other NHS trusts and the local Workforce Development Confederation.

10. To act as a channel for communication to healthcare scientists, other staff and the trust on issues and information relevant to the work of healthcare scientists.

11. To achieve appropriate representation for healthcare scientists on the trust.board.

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