Training and accreditation of embryologists

Published: 26 February 2013

Notes from a presentation by Rachel Cutting of the Association of Clinical Embryologists

The Department of Health (DH) is planning a programme of accrediting health care scientists called Modernising scientific careers (MSC). The course for embryologists is modular, centrally recruited and produces a hierarchy of trained embryologists from assistant to consultant level.

The Association of Clinical Embroyologists (ACE) accreditation scheme can no longer be used from October 2013. ACE believes the new training programme is good, but that it has a number of potentially problematic consequences, listed below.

• The programme works for large NHS hospitals where rotations can be made to work well, but it may not be suitable for small units or standalone private ones.
• Units also have to be able to provide a laboratory master’s standard research project for the trainee.
• Workforce planning in laboratories may become a problem, because there is a defined recruitment period. Many units employ trainees ad hoc throughout the year. For a September intake an expression of interest for funding has to be submitted a year in advance.
• The Department of Health could be more communicative about the impact of Modernising scientific careers. It has a clear plan and fixed ideas about how training will be delivered.

The new training may have an impact upon the requirements in the HFEA code of practice.