Health and safety is very important in the NHS. Health and safety officers aim to minimise risks to patients, staff and visitors.
Health and safety officers have a qualification in health and safety. To join the NHS as a health and safety officer you often need a relevant degree or postgraduate level qualification. Degree courses are three years full time and you'll usually need appropriate level 3 qualifications for entry. To get onto a postgraduate course you usually need an honours degree, a NEBOSH qualification or professional experience. When you join the NHS as a health and safety officer you will have training to introduce you to the department and its systems and procedures. Your employer will expect you to keep your skills and knowledge up to date by attending short courses on particular topics such as accident investigation or risk management. You may be encouraged to take further qualifications.
Health and safety officers working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. You would typically start on AfC band 5. With further training and experience, you could apply for more senior positions at bands 6 and above. Health and safety officers in the NHS work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. The job may involve some evening and weekend working. Health and safety officers may be on call if there is an incident. Terms and conditions will usually be different for fire safety officers working outside of the NHS.
Health and safety officers need to be interested in health and safety, willing to follow procedures, able to train staff at all levels, able to prioritise, willing to work under pressure and remain calm in stressful situations. They also need report writing, time management, good planning and organisational skills.
With experience, a health and safety officer can become a manager, with a team of staff and responsible for the health and safety in a hospital, area or trust. There are opportunities outside the NHS.
Related roles
Cardiographer [6]
Cardiographers monitor patients' hearts to support decisions around treatment and any additional care needed.
There are no set entry requirements for cardiographers. Employers expect good numeracy and literacy and may ask for at least two GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and maths. Some ask for science as well. Some employers ask for A levels or equivalent qualifications in science. You will receive the training you need to work as a cardiographer. As part of your training, you are likely to study for the Award or Certificate in Electrocardiography from the Society for Cardiological Science and Technology.
As a cardiographer, you will typically start on Agenda for Change band 2. It is possible to apply for more senior positions at band 3 or 4, after further training and experience. Most cardiographers in the NHS work standard hours, which are likely to be around 37.5 a week. They may work some evenings or weekends. Terms and conditions will usually be different for clinical support staff working outside of the NHS.
As a cardiographer, you'd need to be able to reassure patients, operate machines, be interested in science and technology, follow instructions carefully, record data accurately, pay attention to detail, explain clearly to patients, work with all types of people. You'd need good technological, IT and communication skills.
As you gain experience, you could become a senior cardiographer, working with more complicated equipment or have more responsibility for working with patients. You would usually also supervise the work of other cardiographers. With experience and further training, and if you have the academic ability to do so, you could apply for an undergraduate BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Cardiac Physiology) - the NHS Practitoner Training Programme, enabling you to work as a healthcare science practitioner in cardiac sciences.
Related roles
- Cardiac sciences [7]
- Cardiologist [8]
- Cardiothoracic surgeon [9]
- Knowledge and library services [10]