History and Background

Welcome to the official website of the Scottish Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Training Scheme (SMPCETS).  The SMPCETS was formed in order to provide a pathway by which to recruit and train the future workforce of medical physics and clinical engineering in NHS Scotland.

Historically, the Institute of Physical Sciences and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) oversaw the development of trainees in Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering across the UK, in conjunction with the Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS).  However the process of Modernising Scientific Careers from 2010 resulted in the replacement of the IPEM scheme by the Scientist Training Programme (STP), with oversight of this new scheme provided by the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS).  Our final NHS Scotland trainees on the former IPEM scheme were recruited in 2013, and completed their training in 2016.

The STP scheme for Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering presented NHS Scotland with complex financial and logistical challenges in terms of trainee placements, and a decision was taken to build a bespoke scheme – the SMPCETS – with the aim of providing similar academic and workplace training that would achieve STP equivalence.  The scheme was developed (going live in 2014) and later it was formally evaluated by a panel of assessors (NSHCS, NES, and lay members), who provided assurance that the programme being offered was considered broadly equivalent to the learning outcomes of STP.  To date, we have successfully guided over 20 trainees in Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering on the scheme to achieve STP equivalence and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration as a Clinical Scientist.

Objective

The scheme is operated as a consortium of NHS Scotland Health Boards by a Steering Committee (SC) comprising of members of each board.  The SC is made up of the Scheme Lead (Chair) together with Department Heads, Training Coordinators and Trainee Representatives from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GG&C), NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian and NHS Highland.  Meetings of the SC occur three times per year, where full developmental review of the training programme is conducted.

We work closely with our partners at NHS Education for Scotland (NES), who allocate us funded trainee positions on a yearly basis and also provide us with national oversight – which covers such events as regular meetings, conference facilities, and professional training courses for trainees and supervisors.  Another key partner is the Academy for Healthcare Sciences (AHCS) who allow us to put our trainees forward for examination under their STP equivalence scheme. The SMPCETS also works closely with academic partners at Aberdeen, Glasgow and Strathclyde, and we also have an external training advisor (ETA) appointed from NHS England who provides the scheme (both supervisors and trainees) with independent training support.  The scheme also has a close working relationship with the trainees themselves, and there is a well-established Scottish Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Trainee Network (SMPCETN) which serves as a valuable aid to communication and support between the trainees.

A successful trainee applicant onto the scheme is appointed onto a supernumerary ‘band 6’ 3.5 years fixed-term post within the NHS and each post is allocated to a specific health board/training centre. The trainee then embarks upon a 3.5 year programme of academic learning, hospital-based training and a six-month innovation project. At the end of the process, the trainee is required to submit a portfolio of evidence to the Academy for Healthcare Sciences (AHCS) under their STP equivalence programme.  Upon successful completion, the trainee is awarded a certificate of attainment and may then apply for HCPC registration.

MSc Year

The first phase of the training programme consists of a year of full-time MSc study on an IPEM accredited course within Scotland.  Trainees in Medical Physics who are appointed to posts at NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian or NHS Highland are required to attend Aberdeen University to complete their MSc course.  Those trainees in Medical Physics who are appointed to posts at NHS GG&C and NHS Lothian are required to attend Glasgow University to complete their MSc course.  All Clinical Engineering trainees are required to attend Strathclyde University to complete their MSc course.  Occasionally the SMPCETS appoints trainees who already hold an IPEM accredited MSc from Scotland or elsewhere in the UK, and in these instances the trainee will be ‘fast tracked’ directly into the Foundation Year (FY).

The MSc Year traditionally begins in September, and the first two semesters consist of Medical Physics or Clinical Engineering courses that are tailored to be aligned to the FY training rotations.  Exams are usually held in April, and for the final semester (May-August inclusive) the trainee will move to their host Health Board and complete a practical MSc project.  Usually the host Board will provide a choice of projects, and the trainee is encouraged to make a selection based on personal interest.  The end of the MSc year is typically reached in mid- to late-August, i.e. the period of study encompasses almost the full year.

Foundation Year

The second full year of the SMPCETS is the Foundation Year (FY), which runs from September to September (i.e. a full 12 months) and represents the commencement of hospital-based training.  The structure of the FY differs very slightly between training centres, but it typically consists of four major rotations (each 10 weeks duration) and two minor rotations (each 2 weeks duration) where the trainee is expected to work to a set training plan under the supervision of nominated staff members.

In Medical Physics, the FY major rotations are Radiotherapy Physics, Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Protection Physics, Imaging with Ionising Radiation (Nuclear Medicine) Physics and Imaging with Non-Ionising Radiation (primarily MRI) Physics.  Minor rotations are also provided, and consist of placements in areas such as photobiology and lasers, physiological measurement, ultrasound physics, rehabilitation engineering and medical equipment management.

In Clinical Engineering, the FY major rotations are Clinical Measurement & Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Rehabilitation Engineering, Device Risk Management and Design & Development.   Minor rotations are also provided, and overlap opportunities are provided with the areas of Medical Physics (and vice versa) where they are potentially of specific interest or use to a trainee.  Minor placements in Clinical Engineering tend to be in areas of medical imaging such as Nuclear Medicine or MRI, which do not otherwise form a component of the Clinical Engineering programme.

During the FY, the trainee is asked to formulate a portfolio to showcase ‘the best bits’ of their training experience throughout the year (to be submitted in early September).  At the end of the FY (early October) the SMPCETS holds a midway QA assessment, which is a viva conversation (about 60-75 minutes) between the trainee and a panel of three assessors (along with the External Training Advisor), convened to discuss the work that the trainee has undertaken for all rotations.  The purpose of the midway QA is to provide assurance for all parties that the training is on the correct trajectory to enable the trainee to move onto specialism programme and eventually achieve STP equivalence.

Specialism Year

During the SY, the trainee is given the opportunity to engage in further hospital-based training in the area in where they will be seeking permanent employment.  The specialism subjects are essentially the same as the FY major rotation areas, although examples of hybrid specialism training (e.g. RT-MR, NM-MR) may be possible where there is a clear need identified to meet future service requirements.

One aspect of the training unique to NHS Scotland is the incorporation of a 6 month Innovation Project, to be completed within the specialism training period.  The focus of the work is very much ‘innovation’ as opposed to more conventional research and development.  The results of the innovation project are written up and incorporated into an NHS Scotland ‘Proceedings’ journal, and the results are presented nationally at a trainee event (usually held in November) which forms a part of the NHS GG&C Department of Clinical Physics and Bioengineering (DCPB) annual meeting.

Approximately 7-8 months before the end of the specialism year, the trainee is required to complete an ‘Intention to Submit’ (ItS) application to the AHCS.  If this is done appropriately (after supervisor approval and references) then the AHCS will invite the candidate to submit a final written portfolio for STP equivalence assessment.  After review, if the portfolio is considered to be of sufficient standard then the trainee is invited to ‘proceed to interview’ and a final viva assessment is undertaken.  At this stage, if the trainee is successful then a certificate of attainment is issued which enables the trainee to apply for HCPC registration.

The portfolio that the trainee produces for AHCS STP equivalence assessment is a carefully structured document that provides evidence of training experience to satisfy the standards of Good Scientific Practice (GSP) – which describes a set of professional, scientific, clinical, research and managerial standards by which trainee practice should achieve.  The entire training programme needs to be carefully described and evidenced within the portfolio, and each piece of work is mapped to the sub-domains of GSP.

Support Provided by NES

In addition to funding the training places for the SMPCETS, NES provides a role of national oversight with support for Steering Committee activity and also for the trainee cohort.  These links with NES serve to widen the scope of the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering training within the wider framework of Healthcare Science.  NES holds an annual Healthcare Science trainee event (usually at the beginning of February every year) which enables trainees to learn more about Healthcare Science and also engage in networking over the course of the day.  Courses are also available through NES, and an example is the ‘Early Career Leadership’ course for trainees, which is held annually.

At the beginning of the training programme, all trainees are registered with NES and provided with a unique trainee number which enables them to benefit from ongoing support.  In return, a broad outline training plan is submitted to NES annually, and once per year an ‘Annual Review Check of Progression’ (ARCP) exercise is completed, where the trainee and training coordinator review the training year together, before submitting a report to NES.

Support Provided by the ETA

The role of the ETA is to provide an independent point of contact for any members of the training scheme to speak with.  This was originally set up to be a trainee resource, whereby any trainees who felt that they were experiencing difficulties could contact the ETA (potentially in confidence) in order to talk things through.  The ETA provides a valuable support role in terms of trainee pastoral care, as well as being a great source of experience to help with any specific training issues that arise.

The ETA has two main ‘calendar roles’ within the training scheme.  Firstly, the ETA visits all training centres annually (usually in early March) to speak with the trainees informally.  These discussions can happen with each trainee individually, or with all trainees together at a particular centre.  From these discussions, the ETA then provides an independent report to the SMPCETS lead – detailing any issues that they feel would enable the scheme to improve upon.  The second ‘calendar’ role is the support provided for the midway QA assessment, where the ETA chairs all viva discussions and ensures that the process is conducted fairly and equitably.

Moving into Employment with NHS Scotland

The aim of the SMPCETS is to prepare the future workforce of NHS Scotland in Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, and the objective is to find employment for the trainee at one of the NHS Scotland Health Boards.  However this is not a ‘given’ (trainee contracts are issued as supernumerary fixed-term posts) but the aim is to find a permanent post for the trainee to move into at the end of the training programme.  In practice, approximately 80-90% of our trainees do find permanent posts working for NHS Scotland, and in some cases if the workforce need arises they may be appointed slightly early (typically from the end of the FY onwards).  In these situations, initial employment is offered at NHS Scotland band ‘6’ whilst the training is still underway, with an automatic progression to band ‘7’ once the trainee has achieved HCPC registration.

Contact Us

We hope that you enjoy your browse through our pages.  If you require any further information then please email the SMPCETS HQ on tay.smpcets@nhs.scot.