Evidence submitted by the Federation of
Clinical Scientists (WP 82)
1. The Federation of Clinical Scientists
(FCS) within the Alliance for Health Professionals represents
clinical scientists working in some 50 or more different disciplines
across the NHS. Whilst the largest numbers are in clinical biochemistry
and medical physics, which will provide services in most routine
hospital settings the group includes many other specialities providing
local, regional, national or even international services. Within
teaching hospital, medical school and research institution settings
clinical scientists deliver the highest level of clinical and
clinical applied research in diagnostics and therapeutics including
point-of-care (bedside) diagnostic testing, the application of
new analytical techniques into clinical settings, stem cell research,
molecular genetics capitalising on the international investment
in the Human Genome Project and health protection issues (eg within
the Health Protection Agency) such as "bird flu" and
radiation protection. Within the service setting consultant clinical
scientists are, together where relevant with medical consultant
colleagues, the clinical leaders in the application of these developments
into routine healthcare and leaders of the "working differently"
initiatives that underpin the reform of the NHS. Those in the
positions of being national and international experts within their
fields are in this small group of NHS staff. Their achievements
have been applauded at the regular Chief Scientific Officer's
conference and importance of their contributions recognised in
the delivery of "High Impact Change number 2" (NHS Modernisation
Agency, September 2004).
2. In order to deliver at this level clinical
science seeks to recruit the very best from the nation's educational
system, ie graduates or doctorates with good pure science degrees
and/or academic research expertise, thereby capitalising on the
high level of investment. The lead time to being ready to take
a clinical leadership consultant post is of the order of 10-12
years and typically includes further vocational academic training
(four years to professional registration under the Health Professional
Council) and higher professional training and practice experience
to Medical Royal College membership (typically Royal College of
Pathologists) or qualifications of equivalent standing. Inevitably
this entails a great deal of commitment from both post holders
in their initial post-graduate training and further professional
training and the NHS clinical leaders training them. The output
of training programmes are national assets to the professions
and are expected to move around the NHS during their subsequent
career progression.
3. The clinical science professional bodies
work closely with the Royal Colleges and Department of Health
to:
1. Plan and deliver professional training
to the necessary standards
2. Achieve workforce planning.
It will be appreciated that the workforce planning
for small professional groups is very delicate. The funding of
professional entrance level training (formerly referred to as
Grade A under the now obsolete Whitley system) is devolved to
SHA level Workforce Development Confederations (WDCs). FCS maintains
that, given the small numbers involved in any one speciality,
the necessity that trainees will subsequently move away from their
initial training department and the need to avoid wastage and
attrition from the NHS of these high investment staff workforce
planning, training planning, subsequent career progression to
higher professional posts can only effectively be achieved on
a national (ideally UK-wide) rather than local, even if SHA-wide,
perspective.
4. The issue is currently pressing as WDCs
(in England) or equivalent funding bodies for the other home nations
have not been allocated funding increases commensurate with the
implications of NHS pay reform, Agenda for Change. This is now
in very real-terms putting training posts in jeopardy. Several
SHAs across England have withdrawn entrance level training posts
in the current appointment round (for posts starting October 2006).
Whilst numbers may be small in absolute terms the impact for the
professions (and thence healthcare delivery) will be very high
as, in common with the demographics of many areas of healthcare,
the years 2005-20 will see retirement of a large number of current
consultant level staff. It is essential for the future and continued
quality, progression and reform of services that:
1. Training post numbers are determined nationally
(ideally UK-wide) taking into account the training lead time,
retirements and service developments implications.
2. Funding for supernumerary entrance training
posts is assured to cover the number of posts at previous levels
as an absolute minimum.
3. Attrition is minimised by national (ideally
UK-wide) planning for second and subsequent level posts.
G H Lester
Secretary, Federation of Clinical Scientists
18 April 2006
|
