Medical device risk management and governance is about ensuring that medical equipment is functioning correctly and is safe to use.
As a clinical scientist in this area, you’ll be involved with the entire equipment lifecycle from acceptance testing to safe disposal.
Working life
Hospitals use an increasingly wide range of medical equipment in order to deliver healthcare services. This ranges from simple devices such as nebulisers to deliver treatment for respiratory patients, through to sophisticated radiotherapy linear accelerators for cancer treatments and other cutting-edge technologies.
All medical equipment needs to be checked to ensure it is working correctly and safe for patients. As a clinical scientist in medical device risk management and governance, it would be your role to do this.
You won't just be doing safety checks and maintenance though. You’ll also get involved with the entire equipment lifecycle, including:
acceptance testing of new equipment
introducing equipment into service
advising on the correct use of equipment
addressing patient safety issues
safely disposing of old devices
Medical device risk management and governance is a really exciting and varied role where you will use your expertise in electronic or mechanical engineering to undertake these activities and perhaps become involved in modifying or constructing equipment as well.
You can specialise in device risk management and governance where the role will be more focused on the effective management of equipment, ensuring, for example, that equipment is replaced in a timely fashion and that risks associated with the use of equipment are minimised.
Who will I work with?
Clinicians increasingly rely on the skills of healthcare science staff in medical device risk management and governance and so you will regularly liaise with other scientists (including those working in medical engineering), nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team, all working for the benefit of the patient.
Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers. Trainee clinical scientists train at band 6 level, and qualified clinical scientists are generally appointed at band 7. With experience and further qualifications, you could apply for posts up to band 9.
Staff will usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. They may work a shift pattern.
Terms and conditions of service can vary for employers outside the NHS.
With further training or experience or both, you may be able to develop your career further and apply for vacancies in areas such as further specialisation, management, research, or teaching.
Healthcare science staff often work at the forefront of research and innovation, so that patients are continually receiving the very best healthcare. For example, in medical device risk management and governance, healthcare scientists are developing new breast screening technology which could be safer than traditional mammogram x-rays.
Check vacancies carefully to be sure you can meet the requirements of the person specification before applying and to find out what the application process is. You may need to apply online or send a CV for example.
For the STP, there is an annual recruitment cycle. Applications usually open in early January for the intake in the following autumn and should be made through the National School of Healthcare Science's website, where you can also find information about the programmes and the recruitment process.
Key sources relevant to vacancies in the health sector:
vacancies in organisations delivering NHS healthcare can be found on the NHS Jobs website
As well as these sources, you may find suitable vacancies in the health sector by contacting local employers directly, searching in local newspapers and by using the Universal Jobmatch tool.
Volunteering is an excellent way of gaining experience (especially if you don’t have enough for a specific paid job you’re interested in) and also seeing whether you’re suited to a particular type of work. It’s also a great way to boost your confidence and you can give something back to the community.
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