What We Do

PSA Accredited Professional Registration

AHCS operates a voluntary PSA accredited register for approximately 14,000 professionals, which is divided into 3 parts;

Healthcare Science (HSC) Practitioner Register, The Life Science Credentialling (LSI) Register, and Clinical Research Practitioner (CRP) Register. Accredited registration is gained following assessment against the PSA’s standards and is renewed annually. Every 3 years, a full review of the register is carried out by the PSA. Professionals joining a PSA accredited register have been assessed against the required standards for their professional group and agree to abide by these standards as a condition of remaining registered.

 

Education Training and Standards

We quality assure education and training that leads to entry onto our Register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority by;

• The accreditation of higher education programmes
• Through our Standards of Education and Training
• Through Curriculum Development Standard
• By ensuring education and training programmes leading to registration map to our relevant Standards of Proficiency and Good Scientific Practice.
• All our quality assurance work is underpinned by the Quality Assurance Framework.

 

Protection of Patients and Public

AHCS’s commitment to protecting the public is demonstrated by the running of the publicly accessible PSA Accredited register for specified professional groups not statutorily registered by Law. Being PSA accredited means that our organization has met the required PSA standards, working to good practice to improve patient safety in addition to promoting awareness of the Register among employers and education providers approving high standards of education and training and continuing professional development and investigating concerns and taking appropriate action.

 

Working with Professional Organisations

AHCS works with a range of other organisations including professional bodies representing the registered professions, other regulators including HCPC and other PSA accredited registers. AHCS also runs a Professional Bodies Council (PBC) made up of Senior Healthcare Science Representatives from Healthcare Science professional bodies, led by our president Professor Brendan Cooper, to promote the highest standards of professionalism.

 

Recognising Excellence & Promoting Leadership and Communication

AHCS has worked in a number of areas to promote leadership and excellence including the development of leadership programmes for Healthcare Scientists (PSEL, PEP & OPSEL). These Leadership programmes have been developed to for Healthcare Scientists to enhance their understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of healthcare teams, organisations and systems, drawing on cultural, organisational and psychodynamic perspectives.

 

Recognising excellence is promoted through the following awards:

• The Chair’s Excellence Awards –  presented as a way of thanking people who have helped Scientists or the Academy (or both) to continue having an impact.
• AHCS Honorary Fellowship -in recognition of  presented the work, vision, support and input individuals have given to help the organisation in its development and growth in one or more of these key areas: