The Healthcare Science Assistant standard is designed for apprentices seeking to work in Life Sciences, Physiological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Clinical Engineering, Clinical Bioinformatics in environments such as outpatient departments laboratories and engineering workshops.
Healthcare Science Assistants work in Life Sciences, Physiological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Clinical Engineering, Clinical Bioinformatics in environments such as outpatient departments, laboratories and engineering workshops. They are part of a wider team contributing to safe patient care across all care pathways from conception to end of life across all areas of healthcare science.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to perform a range of routine technical and scientific procedures whilst in a clinical setting.
Healthcare Science Assistants follow standard operating procedures in order to select and prepare equipment and the environment for healthcare science procedures. They perform healthcare science tasks and tests appropriate to their role. They log, prepare, input and store data. They may also carry out stock control of equipment and consumables.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of stakeholders including, healthcare science professionals, the wider multi-disciplinary healthcare team, patients and the public. They are likely to report to a Healthcare Science Associate or professional.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for carrying out clinical, technical, scientific or administrative duties according to standard operating procedures.
They follow specific protocols and adhere to health, safety, governance and ethical requirements.
They are responsible for carrying out a range of delegated activities and solving routine problems using simple rules and tools. They are accountable for their own work performance and are expected to take ownership of their own career and professional development.