Modernising Scientific Careers

Modernising Scientific Careers

A key work programme led by the Chief Scientific Officer within the UK Department of Health, which is designed to ensure flexibility, sustainability and modern career pathways for the healthcare science workforce, anticipating the needs of the future NHS.
The MSC programme provides a career framework for healthcare science professionals by developing a clear and coherent education and training programme, enabling individuals to move throughout health science over their career without being sidelined and avoiding risk of career dead-ends. MSC also provides a set of standards for healthcare science, which can be owned by the professionals who developed them.
For the NHS, MSC enables saving in pre-qualification education and workforce costs, provides consistent standards and learning outcomes matched with service, clinical roles for scientists, securing a sufficient supply of appropriately trained staff, delivery of the public health agenda and better strategic planning with higher education institutions. MSC enables patients to receive safer care, faster diagnoses closer to home, faster entry to the correct care pathway, and access to up to date innovative scientific services.
It was launched in 2010 with the four-countries policy documents Modernising Scientific Careers: The UK Way Forward, and Modernising Scientific Careers: The England Action Plan; the programme is being implemented across strategic health authorities and Trusts.