Clinical scientists within the NHS

[BeholdMyBarrenField]

I wanted to start a thread about HCPC-registered Clinical scientists within the NHS.

I often think there must be a few of us here, and also that people aren't necessarily aware of the contribution that Clinical scientists make to patient diagnosis and care.

This link shows the large range of specialisms available:

curriculumlibrary.nshcs.org.uk/stp/cohort/2025/

And this link has some info about the NHS Scientist Training Programme and recruitment etc.:

www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/graduate-training-opportunities/nhs-scientist-training-programme

I really enjoy my specialism - it's the same subject that I chose to study for my degree, it's challenging and there's always scope to learn new things, and I know that I'm helping patients every day.

So, are there any other Clinical scientists around? Or possibly parents wondering what else their children could do rather than work in industry or academia?

Thank you, you do fantastic work.

Do you ever get involved in research?

@DisforDarkChocolate, I imagine the potential to be involved in research varies by specialism, and also by workplace to a certain extent. I've been included as an author on some papers, and I'd like to contribute to more in future.

The team I work within uses the latest testing methodologies, and we might diagnose disorders that were only described for the first time this year. So, you definitely feel like you're at the forefront of your specialism if that makes sense.

There are also opportunities to contribute to the development of your specialism at a national level if you want to.