Health Care

The healthcare sector can provide both a rewarding and challenging environment in which to work. In the UK the main employer is the National Health Service (NHS) although you can also work in private hospitals, for charity/"third sector" organisations, or in industry for biotech companies. Quality patient care is at the centre of all healthcare. There are opportunities for graduates in healthcare practitioner roles but also in management, scientific and support roles.

Explore these sections for advice on work experience and on particular type of work.

Many roles in health are regulated and require professional registration with organisations such as the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is not just for patient-facing roles like nursing but also healthcare science.

Explore job roles

With over 350 different roles in the NHS alone, there is something for all degree areas, including:

  • Medicine and Dentistry, both of which have accelerated courses for graduates, as do Nursing and Midwifery
  • Pharmacy and Optometry (no graduate entry routes)
  • Allied Medical Professions that provide diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and support services (e.g. Radiography, Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy) - accelerated masters courses exist for some professions for graduates with a relevant degree
  • Physicians Associate - a separate profession from medicine
  • Healthcare science which includes over 40 specialisms providing crucial support for diagnosis and treatment (e.g. Biomedical Science, Clinical Genetics, Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering)
  • Psychology and mental health
  • Health Informatics and Health Tech - both in public and private settings
  • Healthcare Management - working for the NHS or other healthcare providers. There are also UK Civil Service roles in the Department of Health and Social Care

The fast-track NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in health service management. Entry is competitive, and you will need at least a 2.2 degree in any subject to apply. The scheme is paid and lasts up to two and a half years depending on the specialism, including general management, finance, human resources, health informatics, policy and strategy and health analysis.

Some NHS trusts may operate their own graduate programmes e.g. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust's Graduate Development Scheme.

Use the websites below to explore job profiles and to find out about, skills, entry routes and experience

Tip: Use the information about skills in the profiles to help you build a tailored CV.

Further study and training

If you are interested in further study or moving into the healthcare sector after studying a different programme, there are several ways to achieve this. Many healthcare professions in the UK require registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, following an approved undergraduate or ‘accelerated’ postgraduate degree.

Accelerated programmes

Accelerated masters or shortened courses provide a fast-track route into certain clinical professions e.g. nursing and speech and language therapy. Typically, these courses allow graduates to train for two years instead of three or four. Accelerated 'Graduate Entry' programmes are offered in medicine and dentistry, enabling students to complete within four years instead of the standard five years.

To find out further information and for a list of approved accelerated programmes see Accelerated programmes | Health Careers and websites of the relevant professional body:

NHS Learning Support Fund

The NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) supports eligible healthcare students financially. Packages include training grants of up to £5,000 per year while studying, other sources of funding such as parental support and specialist subject funding may also be available. For medical or dental students, an NHS Bursary (means or non-means tested) may be an option: this could include a contribution towards university tuition fees for successful applicants.

In England, allied health profession students (except nutritionists) receive an NHS bursary*, which does not need to be paid back. Students* can also access funding for tuition and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company, even if this is your second degree. (*N.B. eligibility criteria apply, check the relevant websites for full details).

Another route into healthcare specialist training is degree apprenticeship (level 7). These are available for Physicians Associate training (which does not attract the NHS bursary) and other specialisms including radiography.

For other graduate training roles in the NHS see Graduate training opportunities | Health Careers.

Building skills and experience

Use the job profiles above to check which skills are normally needed for the roles you are interested in.