Health and Medicine

“He who enjoys good health is rich, though he knows it not”. (Italian proverb)

This is a huge and varied career area, including over a hundred different types of jobs. There is a steady increase in demand for health and medical services, a trend that will continue as more of our population lives well into old age.

If you are going to work in this career area you must have a strong interest in people – in caring for them and keeping them healthy.

There are around 240,000 health and medicine workers in Scotland, 10% of the Scottish workforce. The National Health Service (NHS) employs most of them, but some work in private medical services. Many alternative therapists are self employed.

• 79% of workers in health and medicine are female.


• 66% of workers are professionals or associate professionals.


• Staff turnover is low, especially amongst professional staff.


• Between 2007 and 2017 the number of jobs in health and social work is expected to increase by 6%.


• The number of medical staff including GPs employed by NHS Scotland increased by just under 5% in 2007-2008.


• The number of dentists increased by just over 5%.


• 90% of all health care in Scotland is delivered in a non-hospital setting, for example in clinics and residential care homes.


• Modern Apprenticeships in health and social care are to be more than doubled in 2009-2010 by opening them to all ages of applicants.


• Levels of recruitment in the health sector depend greatly on the NHS budget, if this falls so will recruitment.

You can get into some jobs in this career area with no qualifications. For these jobs you must be reliable, trustworthy and caring.

For some technician jobs you can get in with Standard grades or Highers and take qualifications while you are working. For others you need a college or university qualification before you start work.

If you want to be a nurse, you can take a Diploma in Higher Education or a degree in your chosen branch of nursing.

For most professional jobs, such as podiatry or occupational therapy, you need a specialised degree. Overall, 14% of the professional staff in health and medicine have degrees and this is increasing as more nurses take degrees. For some jobs you must do a period of training after your degree to be registered with the professional body.

It is very important that all workers in health and medicine keep up-to-date with new developments. You will have to do regular training courses for many jobs.

For most jobs in the NHS you will have to declare all criminal convictions. Certain kinds of convictions may bar you from entry. Contact Disclosure Scotland for information.

Jobs in this career area have been divided into 16 sectors:

• Alternative or complementary medicine


• Ambulance service


• Chiropody or podiatry


• Dentistry


• Dietetics


• Medical technology


• Medicine and surgery


• Nursing and auxiliary work
  
• Occupational therapy


• Ophthalmics and orthoptics


• Pharmacy


• Physiotherapy


• Public and environmental health


• Radiography


• Speech therapy


• Therapies (other).

Sources

NHS Scotland Worforce Statistics, Medical and Dental Staff (2008)

Skills for Health - LMI Extract, Scotland, 2008 - (http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/) - Skills for Health is the Sector Skills Council for the UK Health Sector

Health Scottish Sector Profile (2007) Futureskills Scotland (http://www.futureskillsscotland.org.uk/)

NHS Careers website (http://www.nhscareers.scot.nhs.uk/)

Information on a wide range of healthcare careers is available on the 'A Taste of Medicine' website produced by the University of London at http://www.tasteofmedicine.com/