STP Equivalence funding available for 200 healthcare scientists

Health Education England’s National School of Healthcare Science and the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) are delighted to announce a second round of funding aimed at increasing the number of statutory registered healthcare scientists.

For a limited time only, we are able to cover the entire cost of the AHCS Scientist Training Programme (STP) equivalence process (excluding final registration with the HCPC), for 200 colleagues practising as healthcare scientists but who are not registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as clinical scientists. Click this link to find out about the benefits of HCPC registration. Priority will be given to those employed in the physiological sciences. However, applications are still welcome from non-HCPC registered healthcare scientists employed in physical and life sciences.

The closing date for applications is 5:00pm on Thursday 23 February 2023. Following last year’s unprecedented demand when applications opened, we will close the application window once 300 applications have been received. These will then be short listed. If there is capacity following short listing we will reopen the application window.

This is an NHS funded opportunity only so those working in the private sector or overseas are not eligible to apply via this route. Also, as it is funded by Health Education England the initiative is only open to candidates in England.

How to apply

Applications are made using the online form and must be accompanied by a short CV. Click this link to access the online application form.

Your CV should include details of:

• your career to date
• your roles and responsibilities
• your education and training
• your professional body membership or statutory regulation
• any publications or reports that you have contributed to – this might be empirical research, audits or service developments, conference presentations

If you have difficulty uploading your CV please email a copy to equivalence@ahcs.ac.uk and make sure that the title of your attached CV includes your full name.

Shortlisting/selection

Shortlisting/selection will be based on:

• the applicant working in an NHS commissioned service in England
• the specialty in which the applicant works – priority will be given to those from the physiological sciences
• the applicant providing evidence of working at minimum of a Band 6 for at least three years
• representation from across the Health Education England regions
• the likelihood, based on the details included in the applicants CV, of having sufficient experience/evidence to submit a portfolio within six months

We recognise that applicants will have a variety of relevant qualifications and experience. You do not need to possess a Masters level qualification to be considered for STP Equivalence. However, the evidence you present must demonstrate that you have a comparable level of knowledge, clinical skills and competence to a trainee successfully completing the STP. Graduates from the STP complete three years of Masters level (Level 7) education, including a minimum of 90 weeks integrated clinical workplace training. It is unlikely that periods of experience less than this will be deemed adequate for an application for equivalence. Click this link for further information about the STP Equivalence process.