PTP Curriculum Review Consultation

An introduction of new principles to guide the Practitioner Training Programme forward.

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Give us your feedback

The School has been working with the feedback from the PTP Improvement Review which concluded in 2020. We have considered all the feedback and developed a new set of principles which would guide the shape of the Practitioner Training Programme (PTP) moving forward.

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What will happen next?

The principles set out the minimum requirements for a programme to be recognised as a Practitioner Training Programme. This includes that programmes should meet the Academy for Healthcare Science’s Standards of Education and Training and Standards of Proficiency, enabling graduates to enter the Healthcare Science Practitioner register on successful completion of the programme.

If the response to these principles is positive, we will identify a date from which the new principles will apply. From this date, these principles would be the sole source of guidance from the School on the form that a PTP degree should take. The principles would replace the curriculum and any previous guidance and direction on the format of a PTP degree given by the School.

After this date, accreditation of HEIs will continue on the current schedule against these principles. These principles have been written to encompass the requirements for accreditation as a PTP. If a programme is currently accredited as a PTP degree following the existing curriculum and guidance, it will continue to meet these principles. The principles provide additional flexibility in the delivery of a practitioner training programme which can be incorporated into future delivery of the programme. HEIs may wish to embrace this flexibility to make changes to their programme, or they may choose to continue as they are if the current model of delivery is working well.

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Practitioner Training Programme Principles

To receive accreditation as a Partitioner Training Programme, the following principles must be met:

  1. The programme must enable learners to meet the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS) Standards of Proficiency for Healthcare Science Practitioners and enter the Healthcare Science Practitioner register. The programme must meet the AHCS Standards of Education and Training.
  2. The aims of the programme and/or programme award must reference “Healthcare Science”. The programme must include a minimum of 360 credits to enable learners to graduate with a BSc Hons. All credit baring modules must be relevant to the current practice of healthcare science. The programme must provide learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to meet the delivery of current and future healthcare science services.
  3. The programme must have robust governance and quality assurance measures for course design, with processes for collecting, evaluating and actioning feedback which include strong links with learners, employers, practice professionals, service users and other stakeholders.
  4. The resources to deliver a work-based programme and support learners and employers must be in place.  Academic staff involved in the delivery of the programme must be suitably qualified and experienced to deliver on the programme.
  5. The programme should include opportunities for inter-professional learning.
  6. The programme must embed the NHS constitution and values and ensure learners are able to meet these expectations of professional behaviour in the NHS.
  7. The programme must include a minimum of 1125 hours of hands-on clinical activities in a clinical workplace.
  8. Comprehensive induction and guidance should be provided to workplace staff involved in supporting learners in the workplace.
  9. The assessment strategy must include summative observed assessment of practical clinical skills which contribute to the outcome of the award.
  10. The programme must include a project at level 6 standard that meets the requirements of the award and benefits patient care.
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Guidance on designing a Practitioner Training Programme

The following may also be considered when designing a PTP programme:

  1. The programme may also be accredited/approved by the other bodies to enable graduates to meet other standards and enter other registers, for example apprenticeships.
  2. The programme should reflect contemporary practice and reference current professional body best practice.
  3. In addition to the required time spent in the workplace, additional time can be spent on simulation or other non-workplace activities which develop skills and prepare learners to enter the workforce.
  4. Learners may complete their workplace clinical activity in one or more departments. Experience of other departments and working environments may be beneficial to learners.
  5. The observed assessment of practical skills may include, but is not limited to, direct observation of practical skills (DOPS), observed clinical events (OCE) and case base discussions (CBDs).
  6. The project may include, but is not limited to, elements of research, service improvement, audit or systematic review.

Last updated on 10th October 2022