A Guide to Healthcare Science Workforce Classifications used in ESR

Transcription

1 Document filename: A Guide to Healthcare Science Workforce Classifications used in ESR Document Reference Healthcare Science Workforce Status Final interim publication Owner Jill Clark Version 2.0 Author Anna Cale Version issue date 25/07/14 A Guide to Healthcare Science Workforce Classifications used in ESR For more information on the status of this document, please contact: Tel: enquiries@hscic.gov.uk with Healthcare Science Workforce in the subject field Internet: Date of Issue July 2014 Reference Healthcare Science Workforce

2 Document Management Revision History Version Date Summary of Changes 0.1 March 2013 First Draft 0.2 April 2013 Second Draft 0.3 April 2013 Third Draft incorporating MSC team comments 0.4 July 2013 Fourth Draft incorporating additional HSCIC / MSC team comments December 2013 December 2013 December 2013 Fifth Draft incorporating additional WIRG comments Sixth (final) Draft updated based on additional WIRG comments Final Draft for publication 2.0 July 2014 Updated Draft for publication Reviewers This document must be reviewed by the following people: Reviewer name Title / Responsibility Date Version Maxine Foster Head of Programme Implementation and Development, MSC 23/07/ Richard Billings Professional Adviser (Workforce and Commissioning) 23/07/ Nick Armitage Section Head 17/12/ WIRG Specialist Workforce Reference Group 19/12/ Approved by This document must be approved by the following people: Name Signature Title Date Version Kate Anderson Programme Manager 19/12/ Nick Armitage (on behalf of WIRG) Section Head 25/07/ Page 2 of 33

3 Glossary of Terms Term / Abbreviation ESR HCPC HSCIC ISB KBase MSC NWD SCCI WIRG WOVEN What it stands for Electronic Staff Record Health and Care Professions Council Health and Social Care Information Centre Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care Knowledge Base (ESR) Modernising Scientific Careers National Workforce Data Set Standardisation Committee for Care Information Workforce Information Review Group Workforce Validation Engine (ESR data quality reports) Document Control The controlled copy of this document is maintained in the HSCIC corporate network. Any copies of this document held outside of that area, in whatever format (e.g. paper, attachment), are considered to have passed out of control and should be checked for currency and validity. Use of Guidance This guidance should be used in combination with; ESR User Notice 1828 Healthcare Science Coding Changes Occupation Code Manual Matrix U (Healthcare Science) Healthcare Science Indicative Job Title Guidance Page 3 of 33

4 Contents 1 Background and Purpose of Document 5 2 Introduction 6 3 Positions on ESR - Background and structure 9 4 Professional Registration details 12 5 Occupation Codes 16 6 Staff Group Job Role 23 7 Area of Work 25 8 Combining Staff Group, Job Role, Area of Work and Occupation Code 27 9 Use of information and data quality Frequently Asked Questions Links and further information 32 Page 4 of 33

5 1 Background and Purpose of Document This guidance document is intended to be used as a reference when coding Healthcare Science positions; it is not intended to be used as a guide to the coding of other positions not involved in this broad area of work. Please ensure that HR / workforce information staff work closely with Healthcare Science leads within the organisation to ensure successful implementation of the changes. It is important to bear in mind throughout this exercise that the classifications of Occupation Code, Job Role, and Area of Work are attributes of Positions and not of the Postholders. When determining which values to apply to each Position reference should be made to the appropriate Job Description and Person Specification. This document was developed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) in conjunction with the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) team, Healthcare Science leads, NHS Employers, the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Central Team, the Workforce Information Review Group (WIRG) and a number of NHS organisations. It is intended primarily as guidance for organisations that use the ESR but will also be of relevance to users of other systems that also make use of these classifications as well as those who report or interpret data based upon them. This guidance document should be read in conjunction with other guidance materials on the coding of Healthcare Science staff and also the document A Guide to Staff Group, Job Role and Area of Work Classifications used in ESR which provides guidance on the use of key data items from the National Workforce Data Set (NWD) enabling those using ESR to make informed coding decisions and improve data quality. The documents are available here: This guidance is intended to be a living document which will be reviewed and updated as required, and we welcome feedback and ideas for development. When changes are made we will update the HSCIC website and relevant contacts. The latest version of the document will also be linked via the ESR KBase This guidance document is primarily aimed at users of the ESR, but may also be of use to those organisations that employ Healthcare Science staff but do not use the ESR. Consistent application of the new standards across the whole of the NHS will enhance the way the data can be used for analysis, not just for those organisations using ESR. If you wish to be on the contact list for updates, make comments or suggestions, or require further information please contact the HSCIC, with Healthcare Science Workforce in the subject line: enquiries@hscic.gov.uk Page 5 of 33

6 2 Introduction The values for Healthcare Science have recently changed, and all organisations that employ Healthcare Science staff will need to audit and amend their records on ESR accordingly. This document provides guidance on the usage of Staff Group, Job Role, Area of Work, Occupation Code and Professional Registration values for Healthcare Science staff as determined by the National Workforce Data Set (NWD) and made available in the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and other systems. These fields are key data items relating to Positions (Posts) in the ESR system. They have an important relationship, and when linked together provide a detailed classification of the position that an employee holds. These fields provide a flexible means of recording and analysing the workforce, to reflect different ways of working, team configurations and staff mix. Why have the classifications for the Healthcare Science workforce changed? Careers and training in Healthcare Science are being redesigned by the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) programme to be more consistent and in line with other healthcare professions. MSC is introducing training programmes at four main career levels for the Healthcare Science workforce: Associate/Assistant - Apprenticeships and foundation degrees (or equivalent) underpinned by an awards and qualifications framework Practitioner Training Programme (PTP) - Undergraduate level, pre-registration Scientist Training Programme (STP) - Postgraduate level, pre-registration training Higher Specialist Scientific Training (HSST) - Doctoral level. In addition, a framework for the development of skills and careers is under development called Accredited Scientific Practice (ASP), which provides for progression to Specialist Practitioner and Specialist Healthcare Scientist. This is based on the need for a post holder to hold a qualification in addition to (and at an academic level above) the baseline qualification for the post. In general posts requiring advanced training over and above the base level of qualification may attract the coding of specialist where it exists. For more details about the MSC programme please see: Page 6 of 33

7 As a result of the changes, the HSCIC have been working with a wide range of stakeholders, to create a new and more accurate way of recording Healthcare Science workforce data on ESR and other HR systems. More information on the project and the link with MSC can be found here: How will MSC affect Healthcare Science data on ESR? Using the new Healthcare Science career framework as a foundation, a new set of Area of Work values, Job Role values and Occupation Codes have been approved by the Information Standards Board (ISB) for use in the National Workforce Data Set (NWD). This means that all Healthcare Science positions need to be examined to ensure that they are coded accurately to reflect both the current workforce and new staff entering the NHS from MSC programmes. Future approvals will be made by the Standardisation Committee for Care Information (SCCI), for more details please visit the Health and Social Care website here: and the Standardisation Committee for Care Information (SCCI) web pages here: Coding new staff and recoding current positions The new values will need to be applied to your current Healthcare Science workforce. This will involve auditing your current workforce data to ensure the correct records are included in the changes, reviewing the new values and assessing how these will apply to your existing records, then finalising the changes that you want to make to your records. Other information that can be used to help decide how to code Healthcare Science positions includes Organisation / Cost Centre, department, and information from the Person Specification / Job Description such as qualifications and registration details required for the post. Please ensure that you work closely with Healthcare Science leads within the organisation to interpret the information available Further guidance materials, including the Healthcare Science Coding Guidance tool which provides indicative job titles and suggested codes, are available to assist with recoding of positions. These documents are available at: Page 7 of 33

8 The ESR Central Team can also provide assistance if you need to make changes to Staff Group/Job Role values (as these cannot be amended locally) or a large number of other changes to positions. A Service Request (SR) must be raised via Remedy with the ESR Interface Team and the mass update process will be utilised as advised in User Notice 1828 available through ESR Kbase: Working with Healthcare Science Leads This document provides guidance on how to apply the new values for those inputting records on ESR. If applied correctly, the new Healthcare Science values will allow workforce planners, HR teams and directors to better understand their Healthcare Science teams. It is vital for the success of this process that the local ESR system management team collaborates with the local Healthcare Science Lead to verify the chosen values to ensure that they are applied correctly. Protected Titles The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates three groups in the healthcare science workforce. These groups are regulated by stature (law) and have protected titles. The regulated groups are: Biomedical Scientists Clinical Scientists Hearing Aid Dispensers Where a post requires the post-holder to hold a protected title this information should be held for reference in the Position (Job) Title field in ESR (or other HR system) when creating or amending a post. It is important to check that the post holder is registered with the appropriate regulator. Please see the HCPC website for further information: Please note that when re-coding existing posts, occupation codes U2*, U1*, and UA* must only be used for those posts requiring the post holder to hold the protected title of 'Clinical Scientist'. Please see Section 4 on Professional Registration in this document for further information on capturing information on Protected Titles within the ESR system. Page 8 of 33

9 3 Positions on ESR - Background and structure The ESR User Manual, including the chapter relating to the creation of Positions, is available on KBase: ESR User Manual Work structures - Create and Maintain Position/Job Below is a summary of the first steps required to create a new position and the key fields relating to this document. Further details of the full process can be found in the ESR User Manual. Users should be aware that once you start to create a position you cannot save the record until all mandatory fields are populated. It is therefore important that all relevant information is available to you before beginning the process. Most of this information should normally be provided by the recruiting manager or through your organisation s recruitment / vacancy control process. To Create a New Position Go to: Local Work structures Admin Position - Description A Decision box will open, giving an effective date of the current date and asking whether you want to change it. The effective date for the Position can be back dated or set in the future as required. In this case existing positions for which records have been updated should be set as effective from 1st of January 2014 wherever possible as per the guidance given in User Notice Please note that an employee can only be attached to a Position that exists at the time that they are appointed. If you choose to accept the current date, click No. Page 9 of 33

10 The Find Position form will open. Click New. The Position form will open. When a user creates a position on ESR, the screen will look like this: Staff Group and Job Role Occupation Code and Area of Work NB The yellow fields are mandatory and must be completed in order to save the new record created. Some fields contain lists of values which appear in drop-down menus for selection. Position Title, Occupation Code and Area of Work are selected by clicking in the Date Effective Name field, which opens the NHS Position Flexfield: Page 10 of 33

11 Position Title is a free text field that is often used internally within organisations to report on staff, so it is important to have clear and consistent naming conventions. Where an individual is registered to hold a protected title such as Biomedical Scientist or Clinical Scientist, this information should be held in the Position (Job) Title field in ESR (or other HR system) when creating or amending a post. See further information regarding protected titles in the introduction and also in section 4 of this document. You must choose Occupation Code and Area of Work values from the lists available. Further information on both fields is available later in the document. Click OK and return to the main Position form. In the Job field, you must select the Staff Group / Job Role from the list of values (LoV). Further detailed information on this field and its values can be found later in this document. Further detailed information on how to create or amend a Position record, including how to enter Organisation, Grade, Registration details, Contract Type and Workplace Organisation Code and Subjective Code is available in the ESR User Manual, which can be found on KBase. Page 11 of 33

12 4 Professional Registration details The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates three groups in the healthcare science workforce. These groups are regulated by statute (law) and have protected titles. The regulated groups are: Biomedical Scientists Clinical Scientists Hearing Aid Dispensers More information about the HCPC is available at The Position / Extra Information fields on ESR should be used to record data on the professional registration required for a Position. Registration data can also be held against employee as attained attributes. These fields can also be used to reflect a Protected Title (see guidance above.) The process for entering professional registration details for a Position is as follows: From the Position Details form, click on the Extra Position Info button at the bottom left of the screen Page 12 of 33

13 The Extra Position Information form will open; Click in the row that displays Registration and Membership Requirements for Positions in the Type area to select this option: Click in the first blank row in the Details area to open an Extra Position Information form. Click on the icon in the Registration/Membership Body field and select the required type from the List of Values (LoV) shown: Page 13 of 33

14 Click on the OK button. Because the HCPC Registration/Membership Body value selected requires further information to be recorded, the Extra Position Info Details form will automatically open: Click on the icon and select the required HCPC Profession from the LoV shown: Page 14 of 33

15 Click on the OK button. Click on OK to Close the form and return to the Extra Position Information form. Page 15 of 33

16 5 Occupation Codes A major aspect of the changes to Healthcare Science workforce classifications has been the creation of a new set of Occupation Codes for Healthcare Science staff. These codes replace the T codes that previously were applied to Healthcare Science staff, which should no longer be used to classify Healthcare Science positions, with the new values being made effective from the 1 st of January 2014, or as soon as possible after that. Please note that the new U codes do not directly map to the previous T codes, so it is very important to work with the local Healthcare Science lead and apply the correct code for each position. There are extensive notes to accompany the U matrix, which also provide an indication of how to apply the new codes to existing positions that need to be recoded Please note, it is important to also use the most accurate Area of Work value in order to capture the specialism of each Healthcare Science position. When viewed alongside Job Role and Occupation Code, the Area of Work value enables users to provide detailed information to support workforce planning. The link between Occupation Code and Area of Work values is shown within the Occupation Code U Matrix, to enable users to make logical combinations and to ensure consistency and data quality. The new U matrix is shown below: Page 16 of 33

17 U Life Sciences Physiological Sciences Physical Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Consultant Healthcare Scientist (see note 4) Manager (See notes 1-3) UA U0 Blood Sciences Infection Sciences Cellular Sciences Genetics Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Neurosensory Sciences Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences Medical Physics A B C D E F G H J Qualified Healthcare Science Staff Clinical Engineering Specialist Healthcare Scientist U1 Healthcare Scientist U2 Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner U3 Healthcare Science Practitioner U4 Healthcare Science Associate (see notes 7 and 8) Trainee Healthcare Scientist U5 U6 Support to Qualified Healthcare Science Staff Trainee Healthcare Science Practitioner U7 Trainee Healthcare Science Associate U8 Healthcare Science Assistant U9 Blood Transfusion Clinical Biochemistry Haematology Histocompatability and Immunogenetics Immunology Phlebotomy Point of Care Testing Blood Sciences Suggested Area of Work Choices Covering Healthcare Science Specialisms: Medical Microbiology Medical Virology Infection Sciences Anatomical Pathology Cervical Cytology Cytopathology Electron Microscopy Histopathology Reproductive Science Tissue Banking Cellular Sciences Clinical Genetics Autonomic Science Audiological Science Cardiac Physiology Neurophysiology Clinical Perfusion Ophthalmic and Vision Science Critical Care Neurosensory Sciences Respiratory Physiology Sleep Physiology Vascular Science Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Gastrointestinal Physiology Urodynamics Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences Angiography Breast Screening Clinical Radiology CT Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Imaging Mammography Medical Illustration MRI Non-ionising Radiation Nuclear Medicine Radiation Safety Radiotherapy Physics Radiopharmacy Ultrasound Medical Physics Clinical Measurement Medical Equipment Management Maxillofacial Prosthetics Medical Engineering Design Radiation Engineering Rehabilitation Engineering Renal Technology Clinical Engineering Page 17 of 33

18 Suggested Area of Work Choices Covering the Healthcare Science Specialisms A Guide to Healthcare Science Workforce Classifications used in ESR An additional version of the Area of Work suggestions is also provided to aid reading of the guidance: Suggested Area of Work Choices Covering Healthcare Science Specialisms: U Life Sciences Physiological Sciences Physical Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Blood Sciences Infection Sciences Cellular Sciences Genetics Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Neurosensory Sciences Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences Medical Physics Clinical Engineering U*A U*B U*C U*D U*E U*F U*G U*H U*J Blood Transfusion Medical Microbiology Anatomical Pathology Clinical Genetics Autonomic Science Audiological Science Gastrointestinal Physiology Angiography Clinical Measurement Clinical Biochemistry Haematology Histocompatability and Immunogenetics Immunology Phlebotomy Point of Care Testing Blood Sciences Medical Virology Infection Sciences Cervical Cytology Cytopathology Electron Microscopy Histopathology Reproductive Science Tissue Banking Cellular Sciences Cardiac Physiology Clinical Perfusion Critical Care Respiratory Physiology Sleep Physiology Vascular Science Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Neurophysiology Ophthalmic and Vision Science Neurosensory Sciences Urodynamics Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences Breast Screening Clinical Radiology CT Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Imaging Mammography Medical Equipment Management Maxillofacial Prosthetics Medical Engineering Design Radiation Engineering Rehabilitation Engineering Renal Technology Clinical Engineering Medical Illustration MRI Non-ionising Radiation Nuclear Medicine Radiation Safety Radiotherapy Physics Radiopharmacy Ultrasound Medical Physics Page 18 of 33

19 The following guidance notes are taken directly from the latest NHS Occupation Code Manual (Version 12) which is available here: Occupation-Codes 1. Managers (U0*) are those who are operationally responsible for a healthcare science department. They may have overall responsibility for budgets, manpower or assets or who are held accountable for a significant area of work. They may undertake little or no direct healthcare science function (lab or patient investigations). 2. All managers who need to be a qualified Healthcare Scientist to undertake the role and fulfil the requirement outlined in point 1 should be included in the Healthcare Science staff matrix (U) as Managers (U0*) within their relevant area of work. 3. All managers who do not need to be a qualified Healthcare Scientist should be included in the administration and estates staff matrix (G). 4. Consultant Healthcare Scientists (UA*) are Clinical Scientists who are typically employed on Agenda for Change pay bands 8c or above and are appointed to the position by a local Consultant appointment panel. Under the previous system, they were defined as Clinical Scientist Grade C with or without enhancement points. 5. In order to be considered a Specialist Practitioner (U3*) the role must require that the post holder has undertaken some additional specialist learning over and above their base-level qualification, it is therefore the Accredited Scientific Practice criteria that shifts a Practitioner to a Specialist Practitioner. 6. Clinical Physiologists and Technologists (sometimes known as Physiological Measurement Technicians (PMTs)) working within Physiological Sciences should be coded as Healthcare Science Practitioner within Physiological Sciences (U4*E-G) or Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner (U3*E-G) within Physiological Sciences. 7. Healthcare Science Associate (U5*) should accommodate staff who are employed as Associates (also known as Assistant Practitioners). They are / have undertaken training to an agreed level against a Competence Framework (as well as Higher Apprenticeship or NVQ3 level training according to Agenda for Change), it is not necessarily a nationally recognised qualification (a degree, BTEC or equivalent), but it will be sufficient to allow them a degree of autonomy. As such an Associate should have intermediate qualifications and level of autonomy, putting them between Assistants (U9*) to one extreme and Healthcare Science Practitioners (U4*) to the other. Though this particular role may not be directly relevant in all areas of work at present, it will continue to expand as this sort of role develops to cover more aspects of the workforce. Page 19 of 33

20 8. A Healthcare Science Associate will undertake more advanced and complex investigative tasks and treatment protocol based procedures than assistants, with appropriate supervision, either by a Healthcare Science Practitioner, or a Healthcare Scientist. Associates cannot be counted as qualified staff. They are not legally defined as a staff group. They have formal education that is required for them to be able to do their job, and integrates academic and work based learning. The qualifications may or may not be transferable for use at other organisations. 9. Blood Sciences includes Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology, Blood Transfusion, Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, Immunology, Phlebotomy and Point of Care Testing. 10. Infection Sciences includes Medical Microbiology and Medical Virology. 11. Cellular Sciences includes Anatomical Pathology, Cervical Cytology, Cytopathology, Electron Microscopy, Histopathology, Tissue Banking and Reproductive Science. 12. Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Science (CVRS) includes Autonomic Science, Cardiac Physiology, Clinical Perfusion, Critical Care, Respiratory Physiology, Sleep Physiology and Vascular Science. 13. Neurosensory Sciences includes Audiological Science, Neurophysiology and Ophthalmic and Vision Science. 14. Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences includes Gastrointestinal Physiology and Urodynamic Science. 15. Medical Physics includes Non-Ionising Radiation, Medical Illustration, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Radiation Safety,Radiotherapy Physics and other existing Imaging Area of Work values (Imaging, Clinical Radiology, Ultrasound, CT, MRI, Mammography, Angiography, Breast Screening, Radiopharmacy, Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology). 16. Clinical Engineering includes Medical Equipment Management, Medical Engineering, Rehabilitation Engineering, Radiation Engineering, Clinical Measurement & Development, Renal Technology, Maxillofacial Prosthetics. 17. Code staff working in Pathology as Life Sciences (U*A-D) with the appropriate value for their area of work and pathway level. Page 20 of 33

21 18. Code staff working in External Quality Assurance as Life Sciences (U*A-D) with the appropriate value for their specific area of work, e.g. Cervical Cytology, Blood Sciences 19. Information regarding protected titles, which for Healthcare Scientist includes: Clinical Scientist Biomedical Scientist Hearing Aid Dispenser Please see the HCPC website for further information regarding the protected titles themselves: Please note that when re-coding existing posts, occupation codes U2*, U1*, and UA* must only be used for those posts requiring the protected title of 'Clinical Scientist' and no other. Information regarding protected titles should be captured within the Professional Registration elements of HR Systems such as the ESR, and may also be captured within the position (job) title field for reference. More detail is provided within section 4 of the 'Guide to Healthcare Science Workforce Classifications within ESR' guidance document available on the HSCIC website: Transition from 'T' occupation codes to the 'U' occupation codes Please note that the new U codes do not directly map to the previous T codes, so it is very important to check with the local Healthcare Science lead and apply the correct code for each position. 20. Code Technician (previously coded as T4*) as Healthcare Science Practitioner (U4*). However, some roles, such as Anatomical Pathology Technician and Mortuary Technician, should be coded to Healthcare Science Associate (U5*), depending on level of qualification. 21. Code Biomedical Scientist (previously coded as T3*) as Healthcare Science Practitioner (U4*) - see note 19 regarding the capture of information on protected titles. 22. Code Advanced Biomedical Scientist (previously coded as T2*) as Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner (U3*) - see note 19 regarding the capture of information on protected titles. 23. Code Cytoscreener (previously coded as T5*) as Cytoscreener Healthcare Science Associate in Cellular Sciences (U5C) 24. Code Perfusionist (previously coded as T6*) as Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner in Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Science (CVRS) (U3E) Page 21 of 33

22 25. Specialist Healthcare Scientist (U1*) should be used for Clinical Scientists who are typically Agenda for Change pay band 8b and below. The post holder has undertaken some additional specialist learning over and above their base-level qualification, it is therefore the Accredited Expert Scientific Practice criteria that shifts a Scientist to a Specialist Scientist. See note 19 regarding the capture of information on protected titles. 26. Staff previously coded to Renal Dialysis (T*J) should now be coded to Clinical Engineering (U*J ) with an Area of Work value of Renal Technology. 27. Staff previously coded to 'Other' values in T matrix - such as 'Other Life Sciences' (T*F), 'Other Physiological Sciences' (T*M), 'Other Physical Sciences' (T*T) and 'Other Healthcare Science Professions' (T*U) the most appropriate detailed value - most relevant to their pathway level - should be used. Where this information is not clear, please consult the Healthcare Science lead within your organisation for assistance. Suggested Level of Qualification for New Healthcare Science U Matrix Job Roles Occupation Code Level UA* Consultant Healthcare Scientist Suggested Level of Qualification for Healthcare Science U Matrix Job Roles Job Level Typical Entry Level Qualification Example Job Titles NHS Higher Specialist Scientific Training (HSST) Consultant Clinical Scientist U0* Manager (See notes 1-3) Scientific Qualification (+ management responsibility for a significant area of healthcare science) Manager U1* Specialist Healthcare Scientist Accredited Scientific Practice (AESP) N/A U2* Healthcare Scientist Masters degree + Certification of work based competence Clinical Scientist U3* Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner U4* Healthcare Science Practitioner Accredited Scientific Practice (ASSP), Masters modules or Masters Degree or equivalent Undergraduate degree + Certification of work based competence U5* Healthcare Science Associate Foundation Degree or equivalent Advanced Practitioner Biomedical Scientist, Perfusionist Biomedical Scientist, Technician, Clinical Physiologist, Clinical Technologist Assistant Practitioner, Cytoscreener, Technician / Technologist in Anatomical Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology U6* Trainee Healthcare Scientist Relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent N/A U7* Trainee Healthcare Science Practitioner A-levels or equivalent (entry to undergraduate) N/A U8* Trainee Healthcare Science Associate Sufficient to enter Foundation Degree N/A U9* Healthcare Science Assistant Various e.g. Apprenticeship Assistant, Cardiographer, MLA, Phlebotomist The Job Levels Specialist HCS Practitioner and Specialist HC Scientist have typically acquired qualifications in addition to the base-level qualification. For Specialist HCS Practitioner these will typically be at Masters level (but not necessarily an entire MSc), and for Specialist HC Scientist the additional qualification may typically be at doctoral level (but not necessarily an entire PhD). Page 22 of 33

23 6 Staff Group Job Role Job Role (and its associated Staff Group) is a significant field on ESR as it is a defining characteristic of a position and is integral to the work structure. Once saved against a position, the Staff Group/Job Role field cannot subsequently be changed by the user; it is therefore very important that this field is accurately defined and input from the start. The process for updating the Staff Group/Job Role of an existing position within ESR is detailed in ESR User Notice 1828: In order to select the correct Job Role value, the correct Staff Group must be identified first. All relevant Healthcare Science values appear in either the Healthcare Scientists or Additional Clinical Services Staff Groups. The following Staff Group / Job Role values should be used for Healthcare Science positions: Equivalent Occupation Code Level Staff Group Job Role UA* Healthcare Scientists Consultant Healthcare Scientist U0* Healthcare Scientists Manager U1* Healthcare Scientists Specialist Healthcare Scientist U2* Healthcare Scientists Healthcare Scientist U3* Healthcare Scientists Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner U4* Healthcare Scientists Healthcare Science Practitioner U5* Additional Clinical Services Healthcare Science Associate U6* Additional Clinical Services Trainee Healthcare Scientist U7* Additional Clinical Services Trainee Healthcare Science Practitioner U8* Additional Clinical Services Trainee Healthcare Science Associate U9* Additional Clinical Services Healthcare Science Assistant Please note that the Job Role values mirror those used in the U matrix Occupation Codes and should therefore be applied consistently. The old Job Role values do not equate directly to the new ones, therefore all posts need to be investigated prior to updating the Page 23 of 33

24 system, even those records previously coded as Consultant Healthcare Scientist need to be checked and updated where necessary. If this approach is not taken it risks carrying forward data quality issues within the current coding rather than correcting them as part of the process of updating the data standards for the whole of the HCS workforce. The ESR Central Team can also provide assistance if you need to make changes to Staff Group/Job Role values (as these cannot be amended locally) or a large number of other changes to positions. A Service Request (SR) must be raised via Remedy with the ESR Interface Team and the mass update process will be utilised as advised in User Notice 1828 available through ESR Kbase: Be aware that postholders currently in a single bucket position may need to be separated out into a number of different positions; this is because the new Area of Work and Occupation Codes are more detailed than previously. It is recommended that the Copy Position functionality in ESR is used so that only a small number of items will need changing in each of the newly created positions. (Note that it is possible to change Staff Group/Job Role when using Copy Position.) Page 24 of 33

25 7 Area of Work Area of Work is the area, function or specialty where the work activity takes place. As with Staff Group and Job Role, the list of values (LoV) is intentionally generic to allow for consistent reporting and analysis within and across organisations. Area of Work is to be used to reflect the MSC Specialism. Area of Work is a key field for reporting purposes as it provides the only available generic field for comprehensive comparison of the area, function or specialty where the work activity takes place within and across organisations. Organisation structures (e.g. directorates, departments etc.) used internal reporting are not available via the ESR Data Warehouse and therefore cannot be reported on regionally or nationally, or used for local benchmarking because the structure and naming varies between organisations. It is therefore vital that the Area of Work field is completed for accurate reporting of the Healthcare Science workforce across the NHS. It is important to use the most accurate Area of Work value to capture the specialism of each Healthcare Science position. When viewed alongside Job Role and Occupation Code, the Area of Work value enables users to provide detailed information to support workforce planning. The link between Occupation Code and Area of Work values is shown within the Occupation Code U Matrix, to enable users to make logical combinations and to ensure consistency and data quality. NOTE: Not all staff working in the Healthcare Science Areas of Work belong to Healthcare Scientist or Additional Clinical Services Staff Groups. Staff working in Administration & Clerical or Estates and Ancillary staff groups may also work in the Healthcare Science Area of Work. The U matrix in the Occupation Code Manual lists the suggested Area of Work values associated with each Occupation Code, and values should therefore be applied consistently. The following Area of Work values should be used for Healthcare Science positions: Anatomical Pathology Angiography Audiological Science Autonomic Science Blood Sciences Blood Transfusion Breast Screening Cardiac Physiology Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Cellular Sciences Cervical Cytology Page 25 of 33

26 Clinical Biochemistry Clinical Engineering Clinical Genetics Clinical Measurement Clinical Perfusion Clinical Radiology Critical Care CT Cytopathology Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Electron Microscopy Gastrointestinal and Urodynamic Sciences Gastrointestinal Physiology Haematology Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Histopathology Imaging Immunology Infection Sciences Mammography Maxillofacial Prosthetics Medical Engineering Design Medical Equipment Management Medical Illustration Medical Microbiology Medical Physics Medical Virology MRI Neurophysiology Neurosensory Sciences Non-ionising radiation Nuclear Medicine Nuclear Medicine Ophthalmic and Vision Sciences Phlebotomy Point of Care Testing Radiation Engineering Radiation Safety Radiopharmacy Radiotherapy Physics Rehabilitation Engineering Renal Technology Reproductive Science Respiratory Physiology Sleep Physiology Tissue Banking Ultrasound Urodynamics Vascular Science Page 26 of 33

27 8 Combining Staff Group, Job Role, Area of Work and Occupation Code Staff Group, Job Role, Area of Work, Occupation Code and Grade are complementary data items and when used together can enable more detailed analysis of the NHS Healthcare Science workforce. There is also important data available regarding an individual s professional registration which can provide further detail when combined with these data items, for example should it be necessary to consider the number of roles filled with people registered with protected titles such as Biomedical Scientist. Please note that it is important to use the most accurate Area of Work value in order to capture the Specialism of each Healthcare Science position. Failure to make use of the correct Area of Work value will undermine these changes as it will remove the ability to capture detailed information of the specialisms of the HCS workforce. Below are some examples of how the values should be applied to existing types of positions within the current Healthcare Science workforce. Further guidance materials, including the Healthcare Science Coding Guidance tool which provides indicative job titles and suggested codes, are available to assist with recoding of positions. They are available here: Position Title: Department: Staff Group / Job Role: Area of Work: Occupation Code: Position Title: Department: Staff Group / Job Role: Area of Work: Occupation Code: Position Title: Department: Staff Group / Job Role: Area of Work: Occupation Code: Clinical Physiologist (Neurophysiology) Neurophysiology Healthcare Scientists / Healthcare Science Practitioner Neurophysiology U4F Clinical Scientist (Biochemistry) Pathology Healthcare Scientists / Healthcare Scientist Blood Sciences U2A Perfusionist Cardiac Surgery Healthcare Scientist /Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner Clinical Perfusion U3E Page 27 of 33

28 Position Title: Department: Staff Group / Job Role: Area of Work: Occupation Code: Position Title: Department: Staff Group / Job Role: Area of Work: Occupation Code: Cardiographer Urgent Care Additional Clinical Services / Healthcare Science Assistant Cardiac Physiology U9E Cytoscreener Cyto/Histopathology Additional Clinical Services / Healthcare Science Associate Cytoscreener Histopathology Cervical Cytology U5C Other information you can use to help decide how to code Healthcare Science positions includes; Organisation / Cost Centre / Subjective Code, department, and information from the Person Specification / Job Description for the post such as qualifications and registration details and National Job Profiles. Please ensure that you work closely with Healthcare Science leads within the organisation to interpret the information available. Please see both the introduction and section 4 of this guidance document for more detail on the capture of information relating to protected titles and professional registration. Please note that when re-coding existing posts, occupation codes U2*, U1*, and UA* must only be used for those posts requiring the protected title of 'Clinical Scientist'. Page 28 of 33

29 9 Use of information and data quality Occupation Code, Staff Group, Job Role, Area of Work and Grade classifications are used locally for workforce planning and other information analysis within NHS Organisations, and to support regional comparisons. The data is accessed and used regionally and nationally for workforce analysis and planning via the ESR Data Warehouse. Healthcare Science workforce data will be used nationally for workforce planning, to support the development of the Healthcare Science workforce in terms of education, commissioning and skill mix. The new values will form part of the monthly ESR data quality reports (WOVEN) which will include checks on the usage and application of the new classifications. Information regarding WOVEN can be found here: The specific role or team responsible for creating and maintaining Positions in ESR will vary between organisations, for example this role often falls to the Human Resources team but can also be performed by users in Finance or Payroll if allocated the appropriate User Responsibility Profile (URP). It is very important that teams work together with the local Healthcare Science lead to ensure that data is entered correctly so that the right information can be extracted from the system. Each NHS organisation is likely to have its own process for approving, creating and amending positions within its structure (e.g. vacancy or establishment control processes). By ensuring that information and communication flows are working effectively, this process can lead to improved data quality and system efficiency. Page 29 of 33

30 10 Frequently Asked Questions Equivalence Equivalence is a process put in place by Modernising Scientific Careers and implemented, overseen and managed by the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS). The process provides a mechanism for healthcare science staff who believe they have the necessary skills, attributes and experience, to submit a portfolio of evidence to the AHCS for assessment of equivalence to a higher scientific role. For example, a Healthcare Science Practitioner working in Cardiology, may feel that their experience and level of competence is equivalent to that of a Healthcare Scientist in Cardiology. If their submission to AHCS is successful, they would be eligible to apply for posts advertised as a Healthcare Scientist in that field. It should be noted that such a change in personal status would not change the ESR coding of the original post even if the individual remained in that post. This would only change if the Job Role and Job Specification were also changed to the different level. Please see The Academy for Healthcare Science website for the definitive details on equivalence and the processes it involves: (which also includes information on the voluntary registration options available in Healthcare Science) Protected Titles The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates three groups in the healthcare science workforce. These groups are regulated by stature (law) and have protected titles. The regulated groups are: Biomedical Scientists Clinical Scientists Hearing Aid Dispensers Where a post requires the post-holder to hold a protected title this information should be held for reference in the Position (Job) Title field in ESR (or other HR system) when creating or amending a post. It is important to check that the post holder is registered with the appropriate regulator. Please see the HCPC website for further information: Please note that when re-coding existing posts, occupation codes U2*, U1*, and UA* must only be used for those posts requiring the post holder to hold the protected title of 'Clinical Scientist'. Please see Section 4 on Professional Registration in this document for further information on capturing information on Protected Titles within the ESR system. Page 30 of 33

31 Occupation Codes for Cytoscreener Code Cytoscreener (previously coded as T5*) as Cytoscreener Healthcare Science Associate in Cellular Sciences (U5C) Occupation Codes for Perfusionist Code Perfusionist (previously coded as T6*) as Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner in Cardiac, Vascular, Respiratory and Sleep Science (CVRS) (U3E) Occupation Codes for Phlebotomists Code Phlebotomists (previously coded as T7F) as Phlebotomist Healthcare Science Assistant in Blood Sciences U9A Occupation Codes for Technicians in Life Sciences Some Technician roles in Life Sciences, such as Anatomical Pathology Technician and Mortuary Technician, should be coded to U5*, depending on level of qualification. Technicians in Life Sciences Some Technician roles in Life Sciences, such as Anatomical Pathology Technician and Mortuary Technician, should be coded to U5*, depending on level of qualification. Use of Additional Clinical Services / Technician Job Role The Staff Group / Job Role of Additional Clinical Services / Technician should not be used for Healthcare Science positions. Depending on the level of qualification, a Healthcare Science Technician should be coded using the new values as Healthcare Scientists / Healthcare Science Practitioner or Additional Clinical Services / Healthcare Science Associate. Who Can Help Me Through This Process? The ESR Central Team via the mass-update process as detailed in ESR User Notice 1828: The Health and Social Care Information Centre via enquiries@hscic.gov.uk quoting Healthcare Science Workforce in the subject line of the . Page 31 of 33

32 11 Links and further information ESR Knowledge Base (KBase) User Manual, User Notices, etc Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care (ISB) Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) iview National Workforce Data Set (NWD) National Workforce Data Set (NWD) Guidance documents NHS Careers Healthcare Science NHS Employers MSC Programme NHS Employers National Job Profiles Page 32 of 33

33 NHS Occupation Code Manual NHS Workforce Data - Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) Standardisation Committee of Care Information (SCCI) Page 33 of 33