ALL health related careers now REQUIRE or are encourage APPLICANTS TO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN A CARING OR SERVICE ROLE, EITHER PAID OR VOLUNTARILY, IN HEALTH OR RELATED FIELD, AS WELL AS DIRECT OBSERVATION HEALTHCARE.

YOU CAN GET A PLACEMENT IN A RANGE OF HEALTHCARE SETTINGS, SUCH AS A GP PRACTICE, HOSPITAL OR EVEN INTERNATIONALLY.  KEEP IN MIND THAT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME. YOU MAY NEED TO APPLY TO MANY PLACES BEFORE YOU GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE.

Taken from Prospects 2021 

You could work in the National Health Service (NHS), private healthcare or private/non-profit organisations in a range of settings including:

• care homes or hospices

• community healthcare (e.g. doctors' surgeries, dental surgeries, health clinics)

• hospitals

• medical laboratories

• people's homes.

In large organisations such as the NHS and private healthcare providers such as Bupa, there are also jobs for graduates in:

• customer care

• finance

• hospitality

• human resources (HR)

• IT

• legal services

• marketing

• procurement

• sales.

Alternatively you might consider health-related roles in the science and pharmaceuticals or leisure, sport and tourism sectors.

The main Graduate employers include:

The largest employer in the UK healthcare sector is the NHS, which employs more than 1.5 million people - placing it in the top five largest workforces in the world. There are more than 350 different roles available within the NHS.

A significant proportion of the sector's workforce is in independent healthcare. In addition to their private sector functions, these providers are increasingly contracted to provide services on behalf of the NHS.

Independent healthcare organisations include:

• Bupa

• BMI Healthcare

• Care UK

• Ramsay Health Care UK

• Spire Healthcare.

Voluntary and non-profit organisations in the healthcare sector include:

• British Red Cross

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) UK

• Nuffield Health

• Save the Children

• Sue Ryder.

For specialist interview advice - please use the job profile pages above or check out the Higher Education Interview page for more information. 

Top tips: 

• Be on time! Make sure you know where you need to be and how to get there with plenty of time to spare.

• Bring all documentation they have asked you to take with you.

• Dress appropriately - remember, this is an interview for a professional role. 

• Research the employer/ company/ institution you will be working for. 

• Re-read your application form

• Be clear about why you want to do this particular role. 

• Be ready to answer questions about the profession – brief yourself on current issues. Check current news related to the profession you are hoping to go into.

• Be ready to answer questions about the role and skills needed. 

• What are your core values and how do you display these values – read  NHS England’s Compassion in Practice.

• Be yourself! Be confident ! Good luck!

It is also important to understand the UK demographic. 

Which hospitals specialise within particular treatments  for example ? 

Demographics of a hospital

https://network.healthwatch.co.uk/blog/2022-04-06/how-to-record-demographic-information-and-why-it%E2%80%99s-important

https://network.healthwatch.co.uk/guidance/2022-04-06/using-demographic-data

https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/e-learning/health-information/population-health-practitioners/demographic-data

https://www.rcn.org.uk/clinical-topics/Patient-safety-and-human-factors

https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/what-is-integrated-care/phm/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/nqb-hum-fact-concord.pdf

Main conditions which would be useful to understand 

https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health-services/nhs/a4502/a-to-z-of-hospital-departments/

Hospital specialisms.

https://www.expatica.com/uk/healthcare/healthcare-services/uk-hospitals-1095642/#hospitals

https://www.nhs.uk/Services/Trusts/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=103

https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/

Taken from : https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/arrangements.

Regulators in England

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) - In England, the CQC is the independent regulator for the quality and safety of care. This includes the care provided by the NHS, local authorities, independent providers and voluntary organisations in registered settings. CQC register most but not all types of care.

 They regulate:

• • Providers of healthcare services to people of all ages, including hospitals, ambulance services, clinics, community services, mental health services and other registered locations, including dental and GP practices.

  • Providers of social care services for adults in care homes (where nursing or personal care is provided), in the community and in people's own homes.

  • Providers of services for people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act.

UK-wide regulators

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - The MHRA is a government agency that is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. It is an executive agency of the Department of Health. The MHRA is responsible for the regulation of medicines and medical devices and equipment used in healthcare and the investigation of harmful incidents. The MHRA also looks after blood and blood products, working with UK blood services, healthcare providers, and other relevant organisations to improve blood quality and safety.

Professional bodies

In addition to these regulators, there are also professional regulatory bodies who aim to ensure that proper standards are maintained by health and social care professionals and act when they are not. In order to practice in the UK, professionals are required to register with the appropriate body.

These bodies fulfil similar functions for different professions across the UK. Their main duties are to:

• maintain an up-to-date register of professionals;

• set and maintain standards for education, training and conduct; and,

• investigate when these standards are not met or when a professional's fitness to practise is in doubt.

A summary of the professions covered by each body follows. For further information on their role, please check their websites:

Healthcare Professional bodies

• General Medical Council (GMC) - The GMC regulates doctors. HSE has a Memorandum of Understanding with the GMC (PDF) which is an agreed framework for co-operation and collaboration between the two organisations. The Memorandum sets out the respective roles and responsibilities and outlines mechanisms in place for effective liaison relationships

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - The NMC regulates nurses and midwives 

• General Dental Council (GDC) - The GDC regulates dental professionals in the UK. This includes dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists and orthodontic therapists.

• General Optical Council (GOC) - The GOC regulates optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.

• General Chiropractic Council (GCC) -The GCC regulates chiropractors.

• General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) -The GOsC regulates osteopaths.

• General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) - The GPC is the regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in Great Britain.

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) The HCPC regulates 15 healthcare professionals: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists / podiatrists, clinical scientists, dieticians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists / orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists. From 1st August 2012, the HCPC also assumed responsibility for regulating social workers in England.

The work of these professional bodies is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority (previously known as the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence). This authority aims to protect the health and well-being of patients and the public by scrutinising and overseeing the work of regulatory bodies that set standards for training and conduct of health and care professionals.

Social Care Professional bodies

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - The HCPC is the regulator of the social work profession and social work education in England.

• Social Care Wales (SCW) - The SCW is the social care workforce regulator in Wales.

• Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) - The SSSC is the regulator of the social work profession and social work education in Scotland.