Don’t worry if you don’t know one end of a stethoscope from the other! The healthcare sector has a surprising number of fulfilling career options on offer for those who don’t want to be doctors and nurses when they grow up.
By KATE NEWTON
Over 600,000 people work in the healthcare sector who are not doctors, nurses or scientists There are a huge number of roles you may not necessarily associate with this area of employment. The NHS categorises these roles under various general headings: Allied Health Professions, Health Informatics, Management and the Wider Healthcare Team. These four groups contain all sorts of roles for people who are vital to The NHS, their medical staff and scientists, but don’t necessarily require you to have a background or qualification in science.
The variety of jobs contained within these areas is incredibly diverse. The NHS employs lots of people who are responsible for maintenance and repair in medical establishments and hospital environments, such as gardeners and groundskeepers, who look after the numerous outside spaces for patients and visitors in large hospitals, as well as tilers and painters – think of all the miles of tiles there are in a hospital and all those walls! There are great opportunities for people who have or who would like to gain catering qualifications - the reputation of NHS catering and the standard of hospital food has improved enormously in recent times.
If you are studying the Arts, you could opt for a career as an Arts Therapist – someone who uses art, music and/or drama, to help people with a wide range of difficulties and disabilities.
There are many opportunities to work in Administration in the NHS too. Someone has to keep a close eye on all those health records and deal with patient’s notes. Jobs in information and communication technology within the NHS are vital to maintain the smooth running of hospitals surgeries and medical or scientific establishments. And Hospital management is a whole other area to consider if you fancy climbing that particular ladder!
If you are studying science-based subjects but don’t want to pursue a career in medicine or nursing there are plenty of other jobs to consider within the NHS… Anatomical Pathologist, Chiropodist, Counsellor, Dietician, Orthopaedic Technician, Audiologist, Pharmacy Technician, Speech Therapist, Clinical Engineer… to name but a few!
The NHS has a great website which has a fully comprehensive A to Z of every single job option within the healthcare sector. If this article has whetted your appetite to learn more about the massive and diverse range of careers available in this field, you should check it out at: http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk