Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography Echocardiography Training

In line with the NHS People Plan, the NHS Long-Term Plan and the Richards' report, the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) has recognised the need to develop alternative routes to qualifying as a clinical scientist. The Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) has been developed as a pathway that will respond more rapidly to the urgent workforce needs for cardiac physiologists to independently operate as echocardiographers. The cardiac physiology workforce has grown as a result of the Scientific Training Programme (STP); the demand for Cardiac physiologists remains high, with a shortfall of circa 663 whole time equivalent staff. The workforce shortfall represents a major risk to delivery of the NHS People Plan, particularly for waiting time targets in diagnosis and follow up of cardiovascular disease and cancer pathways, and the further development of 7-day services and delivery of Echocardiography in primary care and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs). Currently 86% of patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy have their echocardiogram in hospital, while only 10% are diagnosed by echocardiography in the community - a large increase in access and delivery could offer significant improvements in speed of diagnosis and cost savings. The ETP first ran as a small pilot in 2020 and was welcomed by the workforce. Following the success of the pilot, two higher education institutions (HEIs) were commissioned to deliver training. As demand for training places has continued to rise, and are already over-subscribed, HEE seeks an additional HEI to commence training provision in October 2023. The programme represents an accelerated pathway for Cardiac Physiologists and direct-entry graduates to gain BSE Accreditation to enable them to work autonomously to meet the current workforce needs. This course is unique in offering an integrated programme to deliver both the Academic content leading to a Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography and workplace training, building on successful elements of the STP including Echocardiography modules, Accreditation of departments and support for trainees and training officers, kick-starting the hands-on skills by utilising a simulator - research has shown this can significantly increase skills in the early learning phase. HEE and the NSHCS have developed and implemented this programme to run alongside and be accredited and commissioned in the same way as the existing HCS programmes. Numbers of trainees on the programme has risen significantly and there is a need for an additional Academic provider. We would therefore like to invite Expressions of Interest/Tenders from Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) who would like to deliver the academic content.