TranslateRegistering as a BMS
Registering as a Biomedical Scientist
Biomedical Scientist is a protected title and you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to practice as one in the UK.
To register with the HCPC you must have first completed an academic qualification that meets the HCPC’s ‘Standards for Education and Training’. This qualification could be:
- An undergraduate Biomedical Science degree that is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). There are currently 56 universities in the UK that have IBMS-accredited courses. Many of these courses will also give you the opportunity to complete a 48 week placement in a healthcare laboratory, which is the quickest way to gain HCPC registration and join the profession. More information about these courses can be found by clicking the link below:
- An undergraduate biomedical science, or related degree which is NOT accredited by the IBMS. If your undergraduate degree was not IBMS-accredited, you will need to request a ‘Degree Assessment’ from the IBMS. This assessment will identify any additional study you may need to complete to meet the HCPC Standards of Education and Training, these are often called ‘top-up modules’, and must be completed before you can register with the HCPC. More information about IBMS degree assessment and top-up modules can be found by clicking the link below:
- A Level 6 Biomedical Scientist Apprenticeship Training Course (formerly known as Healthcare Science Practitioner). This is an integrated degree that typically takes 4 years to complete, and you will work in your host department for the duration alongside your studies. If you are interested in this course you should speak to your manager. More information can be found by clicking the links below:
Secondly, you must demonstrate you meet the HCPC’s ‘Standards of Proficiency for Biomedical Scientists’. To do this, you will need to have the ‘IBMS Certificate of Competence’, which is awarded upon completion and successful verification of the ‘IBMS Registration Training Portfolio’. This portfolio is evidence of your practical and professional skills and knowledge, and can only be completed in a laboratory or department that is approved by the IBMS for training. If you complete the Level 6 Biomedical Science Apprenticeship, or a healthcare laboratory placement during your IBMS-accredited undergraduate degree, you will be given the opportunity to complete this portfolio alongside your studies. If you have already graduated, but did not complete the IBMS Registration Portfolio, you can complete the portfolio whilst working in an IBMS-approved NHSBT department, at your manager's discretion. In all scenarios, you will be allocated a Training Officer from the Scientific and Clinical Training and Education team, who will support you throughout your portfolio.
It is only once you have completed your educational qualification and/or top-up modules, as well as the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio to achieve the IBMS Certificate of Competence that you can apply to the HCPC to become a registered Biomedical Scientist. It is at this point that you will be able to legally practice as a Biomedical Scientist in the UK.
Please note, if you have completed your education and professional training and practiced in clinical laboratories outside the UK, and have not been registered with the HCPC before, you may be eligible to register via the HCPC’s International Application Route. More information can be found by clicking the link below:
More information about the HCPC’s standards for Biomedical Scientists can be found by clicking the link below:
More information about the IBMS and the different routes into becoming a Biomedical Scientist can be found by clicking the link below:
For further information please refer to the Biomedical Scientist FAQs Biomedical Scientist FAQs.
