Biomedical Engineering Division welcomes future NHS engineers

On 28 October, IMechE and the Institute of Physics co-funded/hosted an event for students organised by IMechE's Biomedical Engineering Division (BmED). Samuel Vennin, Chair of the event reports.

Students from the NHS Scientist Training Program (STP) and universities across the UK gathered in our London headquarters for an evening of talks on the importance of engineering in healthcare and especially in the NHS.

With the NHS facing the challenges of a growing, ageing population with increased expectations about what it needs to deliver within the remit of a fixed budget and with a commitment not to affect front-line services, the contribution of engineers to the care delivery process has never been so important. From designing ad hoc medical technologies to maintaining and updating current equipment, they have the potential to change the way care is administered and spearhead a better use of resources within hospitals.

The NHS has a bespoke training scheme to form its next generation of clinical engineers to these issues: the NHS Scientist Training Programme, a three-year master degree in which students first undergo a foundation training in the first year before undertaking specialized placements within Trusts across the UK.

For the third consecutive year (this year in partnership with the Institute of Physics), the Biomedical Engineering Division of the IMechE organized a networking event gathering students from the STP course and other biomedical engineering programmes around London. The aim was to expose them to the reality of being an engineer in the NHS nowadays and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration.

This was perfectly highlighted in the presentation from Maighread Ireland and Rachael Andrews, two engineers working at Clinical Engineering Innovation, Cambridge University Hospitals. Graduates of the STP themselves, they work with clinicians at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to design specific medical devices solving unmet clinical needs or cutting costs while improving the efficiency of medical procedures.

Through a few case studies such as the development of a needle for prostate biopsies (CamPROBE) or tailored prosthetics for amputee soldiers competing at the Invictus games, Ireland and Andrews detailed their team’s process while emphasizing the contribution from non-engineering staff. The help of legal advisors is for example key when ensuring that a device comply with the regulations or that its labelling is correct; feedbacks from clinicians are invaluable to design, test and refine technologies.

The take home message of their presentation was that NHS engineers were uniquely placed to collaborate with clinicians even though there is no common route for initiating such collaborations. It is important that engineers keep an open mind and seek out opportunities for innovation during their training.

The wrap up debate focused on the skills needed by clinical engineers and the strategies for attracting funding. A networking cocktail brought the evening to a close.