Healthcare Science (HCS)

NES Healthcare Science has oversight of training programmes for the healthcare science workforce, with an aim of ensuring a sustainable fit-for-purpose workforce supply for NHS Scotland. NES Healthcare Science also has interests in the ongoing education and development of existing healthcare science staff, for example by:

• Leadership development of HCS
• Provision of national learning initiatives to support Scottish Government policy
• New roles for HCS

There are three HCS divisions: life sciences, physical sciences and physiology. Within each, a range of professional staff deliver healthcare science. There are approximately fifty scientific sub-specialties contained within these three divisions. Some subspecialties form natural groupings and training may include a general ‘core’ element with later specialisation.

NES Healthcare Science was established in direct response to the Scottish Government Action Plan for Healthcare Science – Safe Accurate and Effective.

NES has membership as observer of the Scottish Forum for Healthcare Science