Think that the NHS has only got clinical careers to offer? Think again.
The NHS has more than 350 different roles available in a wide variety of areas. Whatever your experience, qualifications or interests, the NHS has a position that could be suitable for you. Whether you are interested in catering, maintenance, administration, finance, communications, management, or a role in one of the clinical services, getting involved in Step into Health is a step towards a career within the NHS.
It’s not just the experience you have, but the skills that matter too. The NHS values the transferable skills such as teamwork, problem solving and communication that are a part of military life.
Different skills gained from serving in the Armed Forces or being part of the community could be linked across to different roles within the NHS. To read more about what is available, visit the Health Careers webpage or NHSScotland Careers and see how your experience in the Armed Forces compares to what’s available in the NHS.
Unsure what role would be best for you? Use the Find Your Career tool and answer questions about your skills and experience to see where your future career could take you. You can also use the Pathways Tool to explore apprenticeship routes into a variety of NHS roles.
Read our case study examples of those who have made the successful transition to an NHS career or find out more information on how to secure a work placement.
Development and training
NHS organisations recognise that skills can be developed further through some of the training and career opportunities that are available.
There is a wide variety of apprenticeships within the NHS, both clinical and non-clinical, so if you are interested in re-training and finding a new career path, see the government’s apprenticeship hub for more details.
Here are just a couple of profiles of roles available in the NHS.
Engineer
As an engineer, you could work in different departments using your engineering skills in different ways. Engineering roles include:
- Biomedical engineer – maintaining and managing medical equipment in operating theatres, intensive care, neonatal units, accident & emergency or radiology.
- Plant maintenance engineer – making sure that water supplies and drainage, electrical systems, boilers and alarms are working well within NHS buildings.
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning engineer – making sure all hospital areas are safe to use and kept at the right temperature, to keep patients warm or vital supplies cool.
- Prosthetic engineer – creating and maintaining artificial limbs (prosthetics).
- Building services engineer – overseeing the installation and maintenance of systems within buildings, including lighting, lifts, communications and security.
Allied Health Professionals
The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are the third largest workforce in the NHS. As an AHP, you would provide system-wide care to assess, treat, diagnose and discharge patients across social care, housing, education, and independent and voluntary sectors. For more information on the AHP roles, have a look at this webinar series.
There are 14 AHP roles which include the following:
- Paramedics – paramedics are the senior ambulance service healthcare professionals at an accident or a medical emergency. You will be responsible for assessing the patient’s condition and then giving essential treatment.
- Dietitians – specialises in assessing, diagnosing and treating diet and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level using the most up–to-date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease.
- Radiographers – as a diagnostic radiographer, you would be responsible for providing safe and accurate imaging examinations and reports to diagnose an injury or disease. As a therapeutic radiographer, you would play a vital role in the treatment of cancer and provide care and support for patients throughout their radiotherapy treatment.
- Music therapists – aims to engage clients in live musical interaction to promote emotional wellbeing and improve their communication skills. In particular, music therapy is an effective intervention for those clients who cannot speak due to disability, illness or injury.
- Physiotherapists – you will use physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social well-being.