Clinical Engineering – 2025 review results

Current priority areas

• 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future
• Science in healthcare: Delivering the NHS Long Term Plan – The Chief Scientific Officer’s strategy

Stakeholder feedback

Feedback collecting through the Curriculum Library survey collected between January 2024 and November 2025. All stakeholder feedback is presented verbatim.

Programme

• Risk management is a key component of being a Clinical Engineer. So much so that I think it would be beneficial to have a dedicated Training Activity relating to it. – Similarly in relation to project management
• Training provided is too varied across centres. As the specialism is trying to cover what used to be 3 sub-specialisms, impossible to hit even the “specialist” modules in one department.
• The current training activities outlined in the curriculum feel too vague, which makes it difficult to understand what is expected in practice. Including specific examples of these activities would be very beneficial. Additionally, while the curriculum has consciously moved away from strict “competencies” to accommodate differences in training centre capabilities, the current approach creates some challenges for Clinical Engineering trainees. Training activities are divided into observational, developmental, and entrustable categories. However, in Clinical Engineering, there are no entrustable training activities, whereas other specialties include activities that require trainees to demonstrate they can perform certain tasks independently.
  • This means that, in theory, Clinical Engineering trainees only need to complete an activity once and reflect on it, rather than showing repeated competence. While this may align with the curriculum’s flexibility goals, it could leave trainees at a disadvantage when interviewing for jobs, as they may lack evidence of practical, demonstrable skills compared to peers in other specialties.
  • Introducing a small number of entrustable activities—or at least activities requiring competence—could help ensure trainees develop practical skills and confidence. This would not necessarily need to replicate other specialties’ models but it would provide a stronger foundation for professional readiness.

S-CE-R1 Introduction to Clinical Engineering

• no feedback received

S-CE-R2 Introduction to Physiological Measurement

Training activities

• 5 – Training activities 5 and 6 are incredibly similar – TA 5 is for an acute environment and TA 6 is for a ward environment. Trainees have found it difficult to find clinics/measurements that are done in an acute environment that they are able to get access to. consideration should be given to merging these2 TAs to make it easier for trainees to complete.

S-CE-S1 Healthcare Technology Management

Training activities

• 3 – There is no reference to management of safety notices or the Medical Device Safety Officer (MDSO) role as part of the Healthcare Technology Management module. Competency 3 is a responsibility that would be covered by the MDSO role. Either there could be a separate competency for safety notice management or the 3 elements could be included together.
• 7 – The Training Activity says: Provide information and training to an equipment user including a patient and healthcare professional for:
  • “Off the shelf” standard UKCA marked unmodified equipment
  • Custom equipment (in house development or modified medical devices)

It seems to mean that the training activity requires at least one example of training a patient, and at least one example of training a healthcare professional (fair enough), but it is not clear whether both off the shelf AND custom equipment MUST be covered – for the type of equipment is it AND or OR. I would suggest ‘OR’ would be acceptable but the training network could be asked for a consensus. If a trainee trains a patient for custom equipment and a healthcare professional for off the shelf, I assume that clearly covers the training activity? But if the trainee trains a patient for off the shelf and a healthcare professional also for off the shelf, do they then need to find an opportunity to train either a patient or a healthcare professional on custom equipment? My opinion is that the important skill here is gaining experience training different audiences on equipment use, whether this is off the shelf or custom. The complexity of either can range from very simple to reasonably complex, so that’s not a distinguishing factor. The skill the training activity centres on is similar either way – there may be additional considerations for a piece of custom equipment but that could be considered to be covered by the training activity “Plan/scope the introduction of a non-conforming device into clinical/research use”. Another reason for suggesting ‘OR’ is that some clinical engineering services, particularly those that primarily link to the module Healthcare Technology Management, do not have a very high throughput of custom devices which can make finding ‘info/training handover opportunities’ at the right time in the training a bit challenging.

• 10 – Feels like a duplication of competencies in Patient Pathway, or at the very least that this Training Activity should sit there instead of in the HTM module.
• 10 – Unless in a specific role, physiological measurements will not be part of routine practise so it’s hard to be signed off at a second year level without spending significant time at another department. Should be done as part of the physiological measurement rotation so that “competency” isn’t required. – Seems more relevant as an OTA rather than DTA, unless in specific area of physiological measurement practise.

S-CE-S2 Analytics

Training activities

• 7 – FEA seems to be a very specific technique that is rarely used these days. Might be more appropriate to be more generic, allowing use of one of many validation techniques. Could be an expansion of rather than a separate Training Activity to HTI comp 11: Produce and test a mechanical component
• 8 – Simulate a prototype electronic circuit – This is already done as part of coursework at KCL
• 9 – All trainees have fed back that they struggled with this Training Activity and many Training Officers also struggle to advise regarding how to meet these requirements. It seems a theoretical exercise and therefore better suited to KCL especially as the principles are covered by a KCL lecture that explores this modelling. If this is deemed to be necessary as part of the skillset of developing the trainees could it be completed as a piece of coursework at KCL?

S-CE-S3 Health Technology Innovation

Training activities

• 10 – This is the same as Training Activity 8 in the Analytics module. And could be covered by KCL coursework which the trainees already complete.
• 13 – In a DMRG setting there is rarely a need to design a calibration/PPM routine because we follow the manufacturers instructions. We use activities such as risk assessing existing maintenance or training risks, or establishing PPM SOPs based upon the OEM criteria, or an appreciation of UKAS accreditation to meet this Training Activity. Could this Training Activity be broadened out?

S-CE-S4 Patient Pathway

• no feedback received

Changes made

Module level changes

• no changes made

Programme level changes

• no changes made

Periodic review

This specialty curriculum requires significant change beyond the scope of an annual review.

Response – yes

Rationale

Please provide an overview of the rationale for why the proposed changes are needed or why changes were not needed, with reference to stakeholder feedback.

Response

A periodic review is required for Clinical Engineering and a group is currently being formed. As such, any changes will be made via the periodic review group rather than making small changes before the group sits. The periodic review is required as there are concerns over the merged specialities, in particular the former DRMG content and the lack of any ETAs in the specialism.

I confirm I have reviewed the Reflective Practice Guidance for ETAs and DTAs and have made any changes necessary.

Specialty Lead Editor signature: Brett Cohen
Date: 23 December 2025

Change control - completed by the school

Programme structure

• no changes made

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 6 January 2026

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) mapping

• no changes to learning outcomes, HCPC mapping maintained

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 6 January 2026