The workforce shortage of suitably trained and Accredited Echocardiographers is well recognised despite a growth in the Cardiac Physiology workforce, via the Scientific Training Programme (STP). In response to this growing problem, the National School of Healthcare Science in collaboration with the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE), developed a pilot pathway that responded more rapidly to the urgent workforce needs for Accredited Echocardiographers.
An 18 month, full-time integrated training scheme was developed that delivered academic and work-place training, leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Echocardiography and Level 2 BSE Accreditation in Transthoracic Echo. The training scheme incorporated successful elements of the STP, including Echocardiography modules, accreditation of departments and support for trainees and training officers.
Health Education England funded Manchester Metropolitan University to adapt existing STP modules to ensure sufficient academic content and underpinning knowledge for trainees on the course. The altered academic component consists of one existing 30 credit module (Ultrasound imaging in Cardiac Disease) from the STP, and one 30 credit module written specifically to cover other aspects of the BSE syllabus, including Physics and professional elements.
Trainees are funded at Agenda for Change Band 6 and are required to complete a variety of training activities and work-based assessments for each module within the workplace and these are recorded on an online e-portfolio. Simulator training, which can increase self-directed training time and accelerate hands-on clinical skills in Echocardiography, is supported on the course. The immersive, full-time, supernumary nature of the role will enable suitably trained Echocardiographers to enter the workforce in a significantly shortened timescale compared to current training models.
The programme has since been rolled out nationally with the academic provision expanded to include other UK universities.