Introduction to Research for Healthcare Scientists – STP/PTP Event (27 Nov 2014)

NW HCS Trainees - Promotional Article 090614This event is intended to provide an introduction to research for STP and PTP students from all specialisms.  The day will cover aspects of research such as project planning, ethical approval, data handling and statistics.  A previous STP student will also be presenting, providing tips regarding research which they have gained from completing their own MSC project.  Finally there is the opportunity in the breakout session to speak to several PhD students and NHS staff involved in research.  They will be bringing along examples of their own research and be able to informally discuss any queries you may have regarding research.  This event is also a great opportunity to network with fellow STP/PTPs.

Please feel free to bring along any research ideas you may have for discussion on the day.

Food will be provided at the event.

This event is a joint collaboration between Central Manchester Foundation Trust and the North West Trainee Network Board.  This event is now open for registration and a programme will follow shortly.

MAHSE Induction Day (6 Oct 2014)

The Manchester Academy for Healthcare Scientist Education (MAHSE) welcomed the new cohort of Scientist Training Programme trainees for 2014/15 at the induction day on Monday 6 October 2014.  The event gave the 110 attendees the opportunity to network with fellow trainees from other disciplines, gain an overview of their programme and hear about patient/public involvement from one of our lay representatives.

A summary of the talks and key information from the event is provided below:

Professional practice

The introductory session on the Professional Practice unit provided an overview of how the course is structured and how assessment will take place.  Useful resources were highlighted for understanding the wider context of a Healthcare Scientist’s role, including the Modernising Scientific Careers Curricula, a short video guide from the King’s Fund on the structure of the NHS, and the NHS Constitution.

Key university information

Key information and tips about library research and resources, including remote access, were provided by Sam Ashton, Teaching and Learning Librarian at Manchester University.  Her presentation is available here for information on the relevant web pages where support can be found.

Professional development activities

A key aim of the event was to share information on broader activities that trainees can get involved in to enhance their professional development (and CVs!)  Here’s a summary of some of the opportunities that were promoted on the day.

  • Write an article for this blog – we are looking for students to share their knowledge and experiences; share how to maintain a work/life balance; or write about their research.  Check out this article for some tips on how to write a good blog article, and then send it to us at admin@mahse.co.uk.
  • Become a STEM ambassador – get involved in careers talks, demonstrations and mentoring to encourage young people’s awareness of opportunities in STEM subjects.  Register online at www.stemnet.org.uk or contact ambassadors@mosi.org.uk / 0161 606 0138 for more information.
  • NW Healthcare Science Trainee Network Board represents trainees across all stages of training, specialisms and trusts.  Any student attending courses at a Manchester university is welcome to be involved in their events, regardless of the location of the NHS trust they work in.  The North West is the only area of the country to currently have a board specifically representing trainees, so this is something students may want to try and set up in their areas of the country.

If there was any information covered at induction that you need to find, or have questions about, feel free to contact admin@mahse.co.uk.

News from the Academy for Healthcare Science

Academy Practitioner Register now open for online applications

The Academy for Healthcare Science Register is now open for online applications from Healthcare Science Practitioners. You can also use the Academy website to search the Register.

Registration of professionals is important for the protection of patients and is increasingly viewed as essential by employers, providers, commissioners and patients themselves. By maintaining Registration, an individual demonstrates that they are committed to upholding high professional standards and to keeping their knowledge, skills and experience up-to-date through ongoing professional development.

The Academy has published the Standards of Proficiency and Standards of CPD for its register of Healthcare Science Practitioners, which had been revised following consultation. Alongside the Standards, the Academy has also published the rules and procedures that set out the day to day operation of the register and its response to the consultation on these rules.

PTP Equivalence process opens with candidates asked to complete an Expression of Interest

The AHCS is inviting healthcare scientists who want to go through the PTP equivalence process to complete an Expression of Interest, giving details of their scientific specialism and how quickly they would want to go forward with their equivalence application. Once this information has been collated, groups of candidates will be brought together and invited to develop and submit their Equivalence portfolio in a phased way.

Competition Winners – What does a Healthcare Scientist do?

Thank you to all the STP trainees who submitted video entries as part of our ‘What does a Healthcare Scientist do?’ competition. We are pleased to announce that Robert Julian was the overall winner with his creative approach to explaining his role within Radiotherapy Physics. Our runner up was Paul Harrington with his video on Rehabilitation Engineering. The videos are both available below and on our website under the ‘For the Public’ section. If you would like to get involved in producing a video for your specialism then please contact us at admin@mahse.co.uk.

Radiotherapy Physics: Robert Julian

Rehabilitation Engineering: Paul Harrington

Health Education England Genomics Education Website is now live

We are delighted to let you know that the HEE Genomics Education Programme website is now live at www.genomicseducation.org.uk.

The website is the digital home of the Programme’s activities and over time will provide online education and training in genomics for all staff in the NHS.

At launch, the site hosts:

  • an introductory video on genomics, presented by science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry;
  • two new online courses for healthcare professionals: ‘Introduction to Genomics’ and ‘Introduction to Bioinformatics’; and
  • the Programme’s blog: ‘New in genomics’

Plans to expand the website include:

  • learning and teaching resources on genomic medicine;
  • continuing professional development courses for a range of healthcare professions; and
  • details about the forthcoming Masters degree in Genomic Medicine, a multi-professional programme fully funded by HEE as part of the Programme.

For more information about the Genomics Education Programme, visit: www.genomicseducation.org.uk/about

A Warm Welcome to Carol Ainley, MAHSE Deputy Director

Carol_Ainley002-compressedOn 1 July 2014 MAHSE appointed Carol Ainley to the position of MAHSE Deputy Director. Carol is currently the Programme Director for the Cellular Sciences programme at Manchester Metropolitan University and is a member of the MAHSE Board. Carol will be working closely with Phil Padfield, MAHSE Director, to formulate and implement the MAHSE strategy.  By way of introduction, Carol provided a few words about the knowledge and experience that she will be bringing to the role:

“I have a background as a Biomedical Scientist in cellular pathology, working at various locations throughout the UK. I have spent the last 15 years in higher education-I am now Head of Division of Health Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. I have been involved with developing programmes to meet the Modernising Scientific Careers requirements, and thus involved with MAHSE, since the outset in 2011.”

We hope that you will join us in wishing Carol every success in her new role.

Introducing…The North West Healthcare Science Trainee Network Board

NW HCS Trainees - Promotional Article 090614The North West Healthcare Science Trainee Network Board (NW HCS TNB) was set up in the summer of 2013 by Helen Liggett, Nick Fowler-Johnson and Tiffany Daniels to develop the trainee arm of the North West Healthcare Science Network. The Trainee Network Board’s vision is to support, develop and promote all healthcare science trainees and junior staff from all healthcare science specialisms across the North West. It is:

  • A dedicated group of trainees that will provide all trainees with a voice across the strategic landscape locally and nationally.
  • Supported by the North West Healthcare Science Workforce Board and has representation on this group.
  • The conduit for feeding into national groups such as the National School of Healthcare Science Themed Boards and locally into the North West STP Training Managers Group.

NW HCS Trainee Network
Success to date:

  • Expanded very rapidly, there are now 12 trainee volunteers to represent all stages of training, specialisms and trusts across the North West.
  • Supported the 2013 intake of trainees at dedicated ‘welcome events’ both for STP and PTP programmes in the North West.
  • Hosted a Christmas networking event with key speaker Chief Scientific Officer Prof. Sue Hill OBE that was a roaring success!
  • Supported the ‘Introduction to Leadership’ one day programme in February 2014
  • Developed trainee specific pages on the NW HCS website www.nwhcs.nhs.uk/trainiees-network-board including contact details, important information bulletins, event information, TNB meeting and action logs.
  • Engaged with the NW STP Training Managers Meeting, feeding back STP trainee concerns and suggested solutions.
  • Encouraging trainees to sign up to be a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) NHS Healthcare Science Ambassador to enthuse the next generation to become healthcare scientists, details of which can be found at www.stemnet.org.uk.

Forthcoming Activities:

  • The formation of ‘elective’ and ‘project’ areas on the TNB arm of the NWHCS website.
  • Generating a ‘virtual welcome pack’ for new trainees that will help navigate the complex landscape of the training programmes.
  • Supporting the 2014 intake of trainees at dedicated ‘welcome events’ both for STP and PTP programmes in the North West.
  • Hosting the 2014 Christmas networking event…theme to be decided but watch this space!
  • The development of new ways of communicating with trainees.
  • Presence at The North West Big Bang Fair @ Aintree racecourse 8th July

If you would like more information or want to be involved in NW HCS TNB activities please contact a member of the Board.

Competition – What does a Healthcare Scientist do?

An opportunity has arisen for trainees on the Scientist Training Programme (STP) to take part in a national competition which requires them to produce a short video about their role as a healthcare science trainee. The competition has been organised by Manchester Academy for Healthcare Scientist Education (MAHSE) in collaboration with the National School of Healthcare Science.

The competition:

The NHS Constitution puts the patients at the very heart of the NHS but do patients really understand the role of the healthcare scientist? This is an exciting opportunity for STP trainees (or groups of trainees) to creatively illustrate the vital role they play in the care of a patient through the production of a short video. The video could be made up of pictures, narration, text as well as video footage of the laboratory or department where you work. To take part in this national competition you will need to produce a 3-5 minute video explaining your specialism. This would need to be understandable both to other healthcare scientists as well as the general public. After watching the video, they should be able to understand your day-to-day duties and other general roles as well as the importance of your discipline and how it fits into the patient pathway.

The reward:

The best video for each specialism will be selected to appear on the MAHSE and School websites and the producer (or team of producers) will receive £50 in Amazon vouchers. The best video out of all of the specialisms will receive £150 in Amazon vouchers and will also be displayed on the website. For the purpose of clarity, you can submit one video for any one of the following 28 STP specialisms:

  • Audiology
  • Cardiac Science
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Clinical Bioinformatics (Genomics)
  • Clinical Immunology
  • Clinical Measurement & Development
  • Clinical Microbiology
  • Clinical Pharmaceutical Science
  • Critical Care
  • Cytopathology
  • Device Risk Management & Governance
  • Gastrointestinal Physiology & Urodynamic Science
  • Genetics
  • Haematology & Transfusion
  • Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics
  • Histopathology
  • Imaging with Ionising Radiation
  • Imaging with Non-Ionising Radiation
  • Neorophysiology
  • Ophthalmic & Vision Science
  • Perfusion
  • Radiation Safety
  • Radiotherapy Physics
  • Reconstructive Science
  • Rehabilitation Engineering
  • Reproductive Science
  • Respiratory & Sleep Science
  • Vascular Science

How to submit:

To enter the competition you will need to upload your video to the University of Manchester’s secure site known as ZendTo. If you are a member of the University of Manchester, you can log in with your Manchester Username and password and then click on the “Drop-off” button and mark the video for the attention of Sarah Williams (sarah.williams@manchester.ac.uk). If you are not a member of the University, you cannot log in but you can still send your file by clicking on the “Drop-off” button and then marking the video for the attention of Sarah Williams sarah.williams@manchester.ac.uk).

In addition you will need to confirm your entry by completing a short online form giving your name, specialism and the e-mail you used to upload your video: https://apps.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/surveys//TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88L266m2

Deadline:

The deadline for video entries is Friday 5 September 2014. The videos will be assessed by a panel of experts in the field as well as patient representatives during September and the winners will be announced by Tuesday 30 September 2014.

If you have any problems or queries, please contact the MAHSE admin team at admin@mahse.co.uk.

News from the MAHSE Research Day (9 June 2014)

MAHSEResearchDay-SueHillThe Manchester Academy for Healthcare Scientist Education (MAHSE) held their first Research Day on Monday 9 June 2014. The day was a resounding success with around 130 attendees. The keynote address was given by the Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Sue Hill OBE, and Jennifer Gilroy-Cheetham gave her experience of conducting research and innovation projects as a Healthcare Scientist in the NHS.

Feedback from the day was very positive with all speakers rated between good and excellent. Comments from the day included words like ‘inspirational’ and ‘motivational’. Over 50% of those attending found the most useful part of the event was learning about the research projects that our final year trainees had been involved in. One trainee noted that “It has refocused and re-motivated me to work hard at my role in the NHS”.

MAHSEResearchDay-postersDuring the event, we had 8 of our lay representatives attend who have recently been appointed to be part of our programme teams. One of our lay representatives wrote on their feedback form that the most useful part of the event for them was “The range of work that goes on in the NHS that is unknown to the public – great advert for the NHS”.

Prize Winners

We would like to thank all of the trainees who participated to make the event such a huge success. Out of those who took part, there were five different prizes awarded, as follows:

Winners of the talks:
Prize Trainee Name Talk title NHS Trust
1st Prize Rachel Curd A better test for Galactosaemia Guys’ and St Thomas’ NHS Trust
2nd Prize Heather Wilshaw A novel LC-MS/MS method to detect laxatives in urine Salford Royal Foundation Trust
Winners of the posters:
Prize Trainee Name Talk title NHS Trust
1st Prize Eleanor Bagg Evaluation of next generation sequencing for the genetic diagnosis of the Primary Hyperoxalurias Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
2nd Prize Aimee Moss The objective assessment of eighth nerve function in profoundly deaf children using electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
3rd Prize Bethan Dancey Oligoclonal band negative multiple sclerosis: the utility of anti-kappa/lambda antibodies in isoelectric focusing University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Due to the overall success of the event this will be an annual occurrence and we will advertise the date for 2015 in due course.

MAHSE Research Day (Monday 9 June 2014)

The MAHSE Research Day is due to take place on Monday 9 June 2014 from 9.30am until 4.30pm in The Studio, 51 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1FN. Places are now limited so to ensure that you do not miss out on the opportunity to attend the event please complete the online form by 4pm on Monday 12 May.

Who is the event for?

  • All trainees studying an MSc Clinical Science programme in Manchester as part of the Scientist Training Programme (STP).
  • Supervisors of STP trainees who are studying in Manchester.
  • Academics from the MSc Clinical Science programmes delivered in Manchester.
  • Representatives from organisations with an interest in healthcare science education.

What is the event about?

Find out more about the types of research projects that our final-year trainees have been undertaking and what experiences they have encountered while carrying out their research. We have already confirmed a number of talks and posters from final-year trainees, including:

  • Feel the fear and do your research project anyway! Personal reflections on a project to develop an LC-MS/MS method (Charlotte Hill).
  • Ethics, clinics and finally some lab work: a reflection of my research project investigating the use of placental biomarkers (Daniella Nice).

We are also delighted to announce the following keynote speakers:

  • Professor Sue Hill OBE, the pioneer of Modernising Scientific Careers, will be delivering a talk on her vision for healthcare scientist education.
  • Jennifer Gilroy Cheetham, North West Improvement Science Fellow, will be attending the event to talk about her highly acclaimed innovation project in primary care in order to inspire and encourage trainees to take their research further and to realise the potential it can have on service users.