Whilst the most commonly thought-of medical professional is your friendly local General Practitioner (GP), the reality of the medical industry is that there is a huge array of specialities, sub-professions and jobs which need dedicated staff on a constantly refilling basis.
The NHS, founded in 1948, has been providing free healthcare within the UK to UK residents for decades. Within the UK the private medical sector is comparatively small when compared to the NHS, and only 11% of the UK population have private health insurance. This means that a huge 89% of people living within the UK rely solely on the NHS system, and this in turn means that there needs to be a constant supply of medical professionals (aside from GPs) ready to work in challenging, diverse and detail-driven environments. The NHS is a large employer which aims to retain its staff through benefits and services aimed at Improving Working Lives (IWL is the NHS standard for employees). Constantly evolving systems and medical strategies means that the NHS aims for Continued Professional Development (CPD). The CPD programme involves training and teaching new techniques to all medical professions within the NHS itself. Although many graduates initially consider working as a private professional, it is well worth considering taking a position within the NHS for all these reasons.
Within the healthcare industry in the UK there are of course other divisions – nurses (and midwives), specialists, administrative, support and maintenance staff, emergency staff, dentists, and alternative therapists are all called upon to maintain the high level of service to the British public. If you are early on in your medical career it may be worth considering venturing into these areas rather than taking the more direct medical practitioner route.
The NHS, founded in 1948, has been providing free healthcare within the UK to UK residents for decades. Within the UK the private medical sector is comparatively small when compared to the NHS, and only 11% of the UK population have private health insurance. This means that a huge 89% of people living within the UK rely solely on the NHS system, and this in turn means that there needs to be a constant supply of medical professionals (aside from GPs) ready to work in challenging, diverse and detail-driven environments. The NHS is a large employer which aims to retain its staff through benefits and services aimed at Improving Working Lives (IWL is the NHS standard for employees). Constantly evolving systems and medical strategies means that the NHS aims for Continued Professional Development (CPD). The CPD programme involves training and teaching new techniques to all medical professions within the NHS itself. Although many graduates initially consider working as a private professional, it is well worth considering taking a position within the NHS for all these reasons.
Within the healthcare industry in the UK there are of course other divisions – nurses (and midwives), specialists, administrative, support and maintenance staff, emergency staff, dentists, and alternative therapists are all called upon to maintain the high level of service to the British public. If you are early on in your medical career it may be worth considering venturing into these areas rather than taking the more direct medical practitioner route.