NHSGGC Work Experience Opportunities

As an alternative to traditional work experience models NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde delivers a number of structured programmes designed to give you a simulated workshop based experience and valuable insight into your chosen career.

Full details of these will be published on these webpages and we send alerts to our mailing list contacts also. 

Register with our mailing list for updates when programmes go live.

NHSGGC recognises the importance of helping young people to make an informed choice about the possible NHS careers and the pathways open to them. We are committed to supporting the transition from school into higher or further education, and employment, and offer placements to pupils in the senior phase of school to support this.

If you are looking for a placement that isn’t covered by a “Get Ready For…” programme, please note that we are no longer offering placing requests. However you may still submit a self found placement request once you have identified a department and host supervisor Self-Found Placement Request . NHSGGC do not provide a list of contacts. 

Important : self-found placements are not supported if we offer a Get Ready Programme. This includes self-found placements within Medicine and Nursing so please check what is running or in development. 

To ensure that access to careers insight activity is available to everyone NHSGGC does not host Shadowing within a number of professions including Medicine. All requests for work experience, support self found placements for Medicine will be re directed to the Get Ready for Medicine Progamme

The Medical Schools Council and the Medical School locally are all clear that shadowing is not an essential part of “work experience” and is not needed for a successful medical school application, therefore we have developed number of resources to support young people to develop an insight studying medicine and working as a doctor.

You can view our resources at www.nhsggc.org/beadoctor and Home | YouCanBeADoctor

We do understand that there is a concern that young people are being disadvantaged by a lack of shadowing but the NHSGGC Medical staff who lead on the delivery of these programmes have confirmed with senior medical school staff that what we are offering is currently fulfilling the needs of the medical schools and is providing a greater insight into studying medicine and working as a doctor.

You can find more guidance on applying to study medicine on the Medical Schools Council website Studying medicine | Medical Schools Council (medschools.ac.uk)

Adults are welcome to apply for our Get Ready Programmes.

At this time applicants are required to source placements by themselves i.e. we do not match applicants to host supervisors. A request for this type of placement should be made directly to the department of interest who will negotiate the content and length of the placement. Once the placement has been agreed with the applicant the host department will contact the Learning and Education team to confirm the arrangements.

Once you have identified a department and host supervisor you should complete the Self-Found Placement Request

Please note that self found placements are not supported if we offer a Get Ready Programme. This includes self found placements within Medicine.

Please note that volunteering is not considered to be a work experience opportunity. We have a significant number of volunteers in a range of role supportive roles. The NHSGGC volunteer programme is for those who wish to contribute to the wider community by giving their skills, talents and time to support the NHS and we seek people with such motivation. Full details on the range of our volunteering opportunities.

All volunteers are expected to participate in a recruitment/selection process and 2 character references are required. Disclosure clearance and Occupational Health screening.

Requests for Clinical Attachments/Observerships/Medical and Dental Elective Placements

Applications for Clinical Attachments/Observerships can be made at NHS Scotland | Jobs | Search here for your perfect career

NHSGGC can offer a Clinical Attachment or Medical and Dental Elective Placement within a range specialties…
Please note that this team do not oversee medical internships, attachments or observerships. Details on how to access these can be found at Registration, education, training and clinical attachment – NHSGGC

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Here at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), we are able to offer a range of programmes that permit medical and dental professionals to undertake clinical placements under the supervision of our award-winning staff:

• Clinical Attachment

• Medical and Dental Elective Placement

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Clinical Attachments

A Clinical Attachment is a period when a medical/dental graduate or doctor/dentist is attached to a clinical unit within NHSGGC, to gain an overview of clinical processes and systems in a hospital setting. NHSGGC offers two types of Clinical Attachment to registered, prospective, or aspiring medical and dental professionals:

• Observership

• Clinical Access

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Observership

An Observership allows practising medical graduates to observe medical or dental practice within a clinical setting. Observers are not permitted to provide clinical advice or make clinical decisions. Observers must be supervised at all times by a named consultant. An Observership can last between one week to six months.

International medical graduates seeking an Observership must have undertaken the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB 2) examination or have a confirmed upcoming examination date.

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Clinical Access (medical)

A medical Clinical Access agreement permits doctors to gain postgraduate experience or provide / gain experience of certain procedures within NHSGGC. Under the agreement, the responsibility for the doctor will lie with a named consultant. A Clinical Access agreement can last between one week to six months. Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)

Medical professionals who are keen to explore a Clinical Attachment should refer to the NHSGGC Clinical Attachment Guidance documents.

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Clinical Access (dental)

A dental Clinical Access agreement permits dentists to gain postgraduate experience or provide / gain experience of certain procedures within NHSGGC. Under the agreement, the responsibility for the doctor / dentist will lie with a named consultant. A Clinical Access agreement can last between one week to six months. Dentists must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), or meet all of the following criteria (as set out within S.37(2) and (2A) of the Dentists Act 1984):

• recognised by a dental authority as a student of dentistry; and

• dentistry is undertaken as part of a dental training course (or examination) approved by that dental authority; and

• dentistry is undertaken under the direct personal supervision of a GDC registered dentist

Dental professionals who are keen to explore a Clinical Attachment should refer to the NHSGGC Clinical Attachment Guidance documents.

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Medical and Dental Elective Placements

NHSGGC are also able to support a limited number of medical or dental elective placements to medical / dental students who are in their penultimate or final year of study. This initiative is commonly referred to as ‘visiting electives’ or ‘elective placement’ within academia.

This placement enables visiting students to pursue an area of your own interest, and to gain experience of clinical practice in the UK healthcare system with the same rights, duties and responsibilities as our own medical students.

These placements usually last between 4-12 weeks. Due to immigration rules, medical and dental elective placements cannot last more than 6 months.

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Specialties available within NHSGGC

NHSGGC can offer a Clinical Attachment or Medical and Dental Elective Placement within a range specialties. Visit the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website to explore the services provided by the organisation.

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Application process

Medical and dental professionals must refrain from contacting NHSGGC clinicians directly to seek Clinical Placement opportunities.

All medical and dental professionals who wish to apply for a Clinical Placement within NHSGGC must submit an application via the NHS Scotland Recruitment website. As part of your application you will be asked to select the type of clinical placement your are seeking, and which specialty you wish to be considered for. You can only apply for one type of clinical placement and can only be considered for a single specialty.

The details you supply within your application will be circulated to senior clinicians for their review. If a clinician is able to offer you a placement within NHSGGC, they will make direct contact with you to discuss any opportunity in further detail.

If a clinical placement is agreed, the clinician will inform the Human Resources department and a series of recruitment checks will be undertaken. A clinical placement is not confirmed until a member of the Human Resources team provides you with written confirmation of this.

If a clinician is unable to accommodate a clinical placement, your details will remain on the system for six months. If a clinical placement has not been agreed within six months, your application will be withdrawn. You will receive an email informing you that you have been unsuccessful in securing a clinical placement.

All clinical placements within NHSGGC are unpaid.

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Further information

For further information on Clinical Placements within NHSGGC, you should email the NHSGGC Workforce Supply Team at ggc.workforcesupply@ggc.scot.nhs.uk. Please note, the Workforce Supply Team are unable to escalate, prioritise or follow-up on existing applications

There is a lot of information available on line to support you in planning your career pathway.

The Career & Education Pathway Toolkit is a visual guide that help identify the relevant requirements for each admin post within PAT (Professional Administration Transformation) admin family. Covering from modern apprentice through each of the bandings up to senior management levels. It can help with career progression or upskilling in your current role.