Healthcare science assistant
Also called Assistant technical officer.
Healthcare science assistants support medical staff, with duties ranging from lab testing blood samples to monitoring patients’ heart function.
- Potential salary
- £25,000 starter to £31,000 experienced per year
- Typical hours
- 37 to 40. Working pattern: evenings / weekends on a rota.
- Career area
- Science and laboratory work
- Where they might work
- You could work in an office, in a laboratory or at a GP practice. You may need to wear protective clothing.
- A typical task
- take readings from monitoring and diagnostic equipment
- Subjects that may help
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
- Typical route
- No university route listed.
- Interest area used here
- Health and laboratory science, Making, fixing and working outdoors
What you might do
- take readings from monitoring and diagnostic equipment
- label, sort and store patient specimens
- analyse tissue and fluid samples
- prepare specimens for further testing
- sterilise equipment and dispose of hazardous waste
- enter patient data and test results onto a database
More tasks (1)
- work closely with other healthcare professionals
Could this suit me?
Consider which of these skills and ways of working appeal to you.
- science skills
- analytical thinking skills
- maths knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
More skills
- the ability to work well with others
- administration skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Routes into this career
University courses that could lead to this career
These are course families, not published offers. A link does not mean the degree is sufficient on its own.
- Audiology
Related, but not enough on its own. Assistant roles often do not need this degree. The degree is a route towards registered practice, not a requirement for every support role.
Apprenticeship or vocational route
- You can apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Healthcare Science Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
- equivalent entry requirements
- guide to apprenticeships
Other routes
- You could take a college course, which may help when looking for work or an apprenticeship.
- Courses include:
- applied science
- biology, chemistry, maths or physics
- T Level in Healthcare Science
- Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
- equivalent entry requirements
- funding advice
- guide to T Levels
- search for courses
Career progression
- With experience and further training, you could apply for a post as a senior healthcare science assistant or healthcare science associate.
- You could join the NHS Practitioner Training Programme to train as a clinical scientist or biomedical scientist .
- You might also work in
- cardiology – checking for heart abnormalities
- phlebotomy – analysing blood samples
- cytology – screening for diseases like cancer
Registration and requirements
you could register with the Academy for Healthcare Science to demonstrate your professional skills and competence
Subjects that may help
Subject guidance
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship