Nursing
Healthcare Assistants, Assistant Practitioners and Nursing Associates
Healthcare Assistants, Assistant Practitioners and Nursing Associates are a vital part of the nursing team. They work in all sorts of settings, including hospitals, doctors' surgeries and the community supporting registered nurses deliver nursing care. They are trained on the job by their employers or in higher education.
Band 5 Newly Qualified Nurse or Staff Nurse
These are newly qualified registered nurses who generally start in a hospital setting gaining experience then progressing in grade with specialisation. They will have obtained a Bachelor's degree from university and generally gain their experience in a hospital setting.
Band 6 Nursing Specialist or Deputy Charge Nurse or Sister
Band 6 roles are experienced nurses in the clinical or specialist area, often providing management and supporting junior nurses and doctors.
Band 7 Ward Manager, Advanced Nurse Practitioner & Senior Specialist Nurse
These roles usually require a Master's degree or equivalent as highly specialised knowledge is essential for the responsibilities of the role including the ability to conduct detailed clinical assessments, make diagnoses and prescribe medicine to patients. They are clinical experts in their field. The Band 7 ward manager is responsible and accountable for the management of the ward and their patients.
Band 8 Modern Matron and Divisional Director Nurse
These are the heads of nursing within a hospital or Trust so are much more involved in the strategic management and leadership of units.
Band 9 Consultant Level Nurse and Chief Nurse
Band 9 nursing posts are for the most senior members of NHS management who shape high level decision making at a corporate and national level.
Doctors
Foundation FY1 or Trust grade equivalent
After finishing medical school, a newly qualifies doctor will enter 2 years of Foundation Training which forms a bridge between medical school and specialist or general practice training. The first year (FY1) is under supervising to allow consolidation of skills they have learnt earlier. They will have provisional registration with the General Medical Council.
Foundation FY2 or Trust grade equivalent
After satisfactory completion of the FY1 stage, these doctors achieve full registration with the General Medical Council. They take on increased responsibility under supervision and decide which career path they will pursue.
Junior Middle Grade (CMT1/2, ST1/2, Junior Clinical Fellow & SHO)
There are a variety of titles of doctors within this stage, but all reflect doctors who have moved on to more responsibility in a more specialised field and some will be on national training programmes. They remain supervised by more senior doctors in the team. Many will start sitting for postgraduate examinations at this stage.
Senior Middle Grade (ST3-8, GP trainee, Senior Clinical Fellow, Staff Grade Equivalent & Speciality Doctor)
There are a variety of titles of doctors within this stage, but all reflect doctors who have moved on to more responsibility in a more specialised field. Some will be on national training programmes and others will have a local training schedule. They all are in more advanced practice, with less supervision. However, they remain under supervision of more senior doctors. At the end of training they will gain entry to the General Medical Council Specialist Register of General Practice Register.
Associate Specialist
These are very senior doctors who are not at the consultant grade, but their skills and knowledge are considered to be equivalent to the consultant grade.
Consultant & General Practitioner
These are doctors who have completed their training, are on the General Medical Council Specialist Register or General Practice Register and practice independently.