Different Careers in the NHS

NHS stands for National Health Service and is a system in the UK by which all citizens can access Government-funded medical and health care services without being asked to pay the full cost of the service. The NHS began providing healthcare for the people of the UK in 1948, and now there are more than 350 careers available in the NHS. Healthcare and support workers in the NHS are more in demand than ever, and our NHS system is often described as the envy of the world.

If you have ever considered opting for an NHS career, you may be wondering which career path would be the best fit for you. Do you want to work as a medical professional or as a member of the administration staff? Do you want to secure a degree before you start working or would you prefer to learn your job role on the job? There are many different careers in the NHS and many great reasons why you should work for the NHS. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Work for the NHS?

If you’re looking for a career with job stability and excitement, and where no two days will ever be exactly the same then a role within the NHS might be the right choice for you. The reasons for choosing to work in the NHS vary from person to person, but what almost all NHS workers have in common is the desire to help people and to make the world a better place. NHS workers work hard, and consider their co-workers to be part of their wider NHS family. NHS workers are caring and talented and are there for people when they are at their most vulnerable. But what else should you take into account when considering working for the NHS? Some of the perks of working within the NHS include:

• The opportunity to really make a difference. There are very few other career paths where you can play a role in helping to save a life. Regardless of your job title, you will be a vital cog in the NHS machine. Every day you will change lives, make a difference, and go home feeling proud about the work you do.
• Personal growth and development. NHS workers are both strong and resilient. Because the NHS is such a high-pressure working environment, you will learn coping skills, the ability to deal with difficult situations, confidence, determination and resilience. These are vital life skills that you can take with you into any other profession.
• You will learn a unique skill set. NHS workers are given skills and training that you would not get anywhere else. The excellent training and support provided by the NHS is world-class, and you will be surprised at how much you learn. What’s more, with an NHS career you will never stop learning, because continued professional development (CPD) is central to the NHS ethos. From new qualifications to training on how to use new equipment, every day’s a school day in the NHS.
• NHS discounts. As well as the obvious financial remuneration of your generous NHS salary, you will also be given the major perk of exclusive NHS deals and discounts. NHS workers are classed as key workers and are therefore eligible for discounts on a wide range of goods and services, from travel and insurance to shopping and eating out. NHS workers are also eligible for an exclusive prepaid visa card known as the Ode card which offers generous cashback allowances and other discounts.
• A great pension. The NHS pension scheme is considered to be one of the best pension schemes in the UK, and the longer you work within the NHS, the bigger the pension you will accumulate. As well as receiving a standard pension, you will also receive a lump sum from the NHS on retirement. This gives you significant security in your old age, and you will never have to worry about being dependent on your state pension.

Types of Roles

The NHS is not only the largest employer in the UK, but also one of the largest employers in the world, and is the biggest in Europe, with over 1.3 million staff currently employed. With such a huge workforce, the types of roles available in the NHS are incredibly varied. For ease and convenience, NHS job roles are divided into 16 categories. Those categories are:

• Allied Health Professionals. Roles in this category range from emergency response and radiography to podiatry and speech therapy. The focus of this department is on treatment and rehabilitation.
• Ambulance Service Team. Working within the field of paramedic science, which is a degree-level qualification, you will be on the front line of care, and take a hands-on approach to improving the lives of individuals in emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Dental Team. Dental care contributes to wider health, as well as simply looking after people’s teeth. A varied range of dental professionals makes up the dental team, from dentists to oral hygienists and dental assistants.
• Doctors. There are 50 different specialisms for doctors to choose from, making this an incredibly varied job role. From general practice to tropical medicine, you will try your hand at many positions during your training period to help you find the focus that is best suited to you.
• Estates and Facilities. Estates and facilities staff look after NHS buildings and the grounds around them, so they are safe for both staff and visitors. They also take responsibility for transporting patients around the hospital.
• Health Informatics. This is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative areas of health and involves the intelligent use of information and technology to provide better care for patients.
• Healthcare Science. Healthcare science staff play a vital role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a huge number of medical conditions. Rehabilitation is a significant part of roles within this department too.
• Healthcare Support Worker. This is a varied and important role that involves supporting patients on their journey back to health, doing everything from taking blood to helping them feel comfortable and at ease. You will play a supportive role, which means that empathy and understanding are required for this job role.
• Management. Without skilled and dedicated managers to lead and run the NHS, it would not be able to run effectively. This is a great department to choose if you want to support the NHS but don’t wish to work in a hands-on, medically focused role.
• Medical Associate Professions. This is an umbrella term for professionals who work within multi-professional teams as part of the continuing drive to provide safe, accessible and high-quality care for patients. These medical professions take on more than one role within the NHS, enabling them to develop their speciality.
• Midwifery. A profession often referred to as ‘catching babies’, midwifery involves so much more than that. Midwives are involved in every stage of pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period. You will meet a huge variety of new parents and their babies in this incredibly rewarding role.
• Nursing. One of the most rewarding and dynamic roles in the NHS, nursing is a wildly varied profession where no two days are the same. Nurses can specialise, choosing which department to work in in the same way as doctors, or you can become a multidisciplinary nurse who works across all departments. You will be involved in the hands-on care of patients and will be able to administer medications and treatment plans.
• Pharmacy. Pharmacists have expert knowledge of medicines, and how they work to treat illnesses, but pharmacists do more than simply issue prescriptions. Within this job role, you’ll also help people to stay well by supporting healthy lifestyles and offering advice on the medical needs of your patients.
• Psychology Professions. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and this is the focus of psychology professionals. This is the right career for you if you’re interested in how people think and behave and want to use the study of psychology to help people with mental health problems.
• Public Health. There is a varied range of jobs in the public health team, from care workers to smoking cessation officers. Your main focus will be on both your individual patients and the wider general health of the public.
• Wider Healthcare Team. This is the department that deals with other support staff whose roles are vital to the running of the NHS, but who do not take on medical responsibilities. Job roles in the wider healthcare team include cooks, chefs, chaplains, cleaners, donor carers, medical secretaries and engineers.

Most Popular Roles

When we think of medical professionals, many of us will think of doctors and nurses. And whilst the work of these professionals is vital, they would not be able to do their jobs without the support of a huge number of other NHS roles. They are also not the most popular job roles in the NHS. According to research from Glass Door, a recruitment consultancy, the most popular roles within the NHS, based on the number of times job roles are searched for by job hunters, are:

• Assistant Psychologist.
• Administrative Assistant.
• Nursing Assistant.
• Specialist Registrar.
• Brain Surgeon.
• Clerical Officer.
• Medical Secretary.
• Consultant Surgeon.
• Project Manager.
• Donor Carer.

These job roles demonstrate the true diversity of the NHS and the individuals who choose to work within it.

Roles in the NHS Without a Degree

Whilst doctors and nurses fulfil vital roles in the NHS, the NHS would not be able to operate without its huge team of dedicated support staff and clerical workers. There are a huge number of roles available within the NHS that you can apply for without a degree. There are simply too many jobs within the NHS without a degree to list all of them, but some of the most popular of these roles include:

• Dental Assistant. Dentists work in both traditional and dental surgeries, where they examine teeth and repair minor issues, and in hospitals where they perform surgeries that involve teeth and jaws. Dental assistants assist with these procedures, but they do not need degree-level qualifications in order to do so. Provided you have an interest in the medical profession in general and dentistry specifically, you can start a career in this role and you will be given all the training that you need on the job.
• Care Worker. There is currently a huge shortage of care workers within the NHS right now, with the service promoting and advertising these roles extensively. Care workers are incredibly valuable as they look after patients at every stage of their NHS experience: this is a caring role that will require you to show empathy and understanding to your patients, and you will often travel to your patients’ houses to care for them in their own homes, although care workers can also work within hospitals and other clinical environments. If you want an NHS role without a degree this can be a great place to start: you can then use the training opportunities available through the NHS to progress to other roles.
• Phlebotomist. A phlebotomist is a person that takes blood from patients. Typically, these are blood samples that are used for analysis, but blood can also be drawn for use in transfusions and blood donations. Phlebotomy is not a career path for the squeamish, but it is one of the few technical roles in the NHS you can carry out without a degree. All of the training you will need for this role will be provided by the NHS. As well as the technical elements of this role, phlebotomists also have great interpersonal skills, to enable them to put their patients at ease.
• Medical Equipment Technician. Hospitals simply wouldn’t run smoothly without medical equipment technicians, because it is their role to maintain all of the equipment within the hospital and ensure that it is safe and ready for the next patient. Medical equipment technicians manage the repair and maintenance of medical equipment that doctors and other medical staff in hospitals use. They will also set up and install equipment when medical staff need it. You will need technical knowledge and training to fulfil this role, but you will not need a traditional degree.
• Nurse. Whilst some nurses do have a university degree, did you know that not all nurses do? It is possible to become a nurse via alternative channels, completing the several years of study and training required to qualify as a nurse through apprenticeships rather than by taking a conventional degree. Nurses are vital to the NHS: they are on the frontline of patient care, liaising with doctors to determine a treatment plan for their patients and assisting with their care.
• Hospital Cleaner. A dirty hospital is a dangerous hospital, and so the role of the hospital cleaners is an incredibly vital one. Your role will involve ensuring that all environments and equipment are properly sanitised and safe before it is used by another patient. You will also prevent germs from spreading around the hospital, taking particular care around patients with contagious diseases. These professionals use a range of tools and equipment to carry out regular cleaning, and they also typically perform deep cleaning once every month or so. They are well respected in their role because other members of the NHS family understand how important it is.