1. SHAs Leads Network Meeting Professor Steve Barnett Interim Chief Executive Officer The Academy for Healthcare Science

2. What is the Academy for Healthcare Science? Initiated by healthcare science professional bodies in conjunction with the Department of Health MSC programme at the end of last year. We are a new independent organisation whose remit is to set and maintain high standards of education and training for healthcare science. We will aim to: Define high quality education and training standards across the UK HCS workforce and improve patient outcomes by ensuring that the standards are promulgated and met. Enable effective professional engagement in the ongoing development, and review of national curricula for the UK HCS workforce, across the career framework.

3. Academy’s high-level ambitions Speak with a strong, coherent and influential voice that contributes to the new architecture for NHS workforce development and the training and ongoing development of the healthcare science workforce Providing the HCS profession with a higher profile, influencing and informing a range of senior stakeholders including the Health Departments in the Devolved Administrations, MEE/HEE, workforce planning and commissioning at all levels of the new structures and systems for health, public health and social care Provide input to and support for wider strategic initiatives requiring a health sciences perspective.

4. Where are we now? Shadow Chair, Dr. Iain Chambers (Director of Medical Physics, Middlesborough) and Interim CEO appointed. First Shadow Board meeting took place in March 2011, with representatives from professional bodies including the ACS, IBMS, ACB, IPS, RCPath, MEE, HCS Federation and DH. Terms of Reference signed off, senior appointments agreed, initial financial modelling work and business plan discussed. Head of Governance and Communications joined in April, with further senior appointments upcoming.

5. Next Steps Next Shadow Board meeting due to take place in June. Additional members of Shadow Board have been recruited: four countries representatives, employers’ representative, lay member. Full governance plan for the organisation to be presented to the board for sign off, to enable Academy to be fully-fledged as a legal entity by autumn 2011. Future board will continue to include professional bodies, with wider stakeholder council to enable as much participation as possible and ensure ALL voices are heard. Comprehensive governance, communications and business plans/financial modelling to be presented to board in June. Interim CEO & Head of Governance & Communications meeting with healthcare scientists and professional bodies to get to know you and understand your priorities.

6. What we are working on at the moment Comprehensive communications strategy enabling us to meet with as many healthcare scientists as possible, as well as the professional bodies that represent them, to ensure first year business strategy is informed and driven by the professions. Kicking off our influencing strategy - e.g. representing the HCS workforce on the NHS Future Forum, responding to the Listening Exercise consultation. Developing our organisational plan for year 1 - informed by you and your feedback.

7. Over to you! The Academy is and will be driven by the professional bodies and the individuals they represent. NOT top down. We need your input! Your priorities, issues, areas you would like us to focus on.