More Information
A biomedical scientist assists doctors in the diagnosis of disease by carrying out various tests in a laboratory setting. The areas of biomedical science most commonly worked in include medical microbiology, clinical chemistry, transfusion science and haematology.
This highly specialised role tends to be filled by recruitment agencies with particular knowledge of the profession. A number of these employment agencies are listed on this page.
To work in the NHS a biomedical scientist must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To get to this stage, a degree that has been approved by both the Biomedical Science (IBMS) and the HCPC must be studied for.
There may be some IBMS accredited co-terminus (integrated) degrees that are also approved by the HCPC. Some BSc Healthcare Science degrees with options to specialise in relevant subjects may also be acceptable in this regard.
Career Path and Salary
In the NHS, new biomedical scientists are paid around 21-27K. There is a structured career path that can see this figure rise as more responsibilities are gained. An advanced practitioner or team manager, for example, will be on Band 7, between 30-40K.
Most roles are NHS based, although private healthcare positions also become available.