Website of the Department of Health

Healthcare Science Awareness Week: 6-15 March 2009

The Department of Health, in partnership with National Science and Engineering Week and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, will hold Healthcare Science Awareness Week on 6-15 March 2009.

Healthcare Science Awareness Week exists to raise the profile of healthcare scientists working in the NHS, and to create opportunities for young people in schools to learn more about science in health.
The theme for the week – Change – was announced by the Chief Scientific Officer at the CSO Conference in November 2008.

The activity for schools - DIAGNOSIS IT - encourages young people to diagnose, manage and treat one of four medical conditions. Through research and role-play young people will play detective to gain a knowledge of how the clinical understanding of these conditions has evolved over the last sixty years of the NHS, and the important contribution of healthcare scientists.

The activity is aimed to be flexible, and is suitable for Key Stage 3 and 4 students of all abilities. We are encouraging pupils to submit a summary of the activity - videos, songs, raps, presentations, blogs, posters - the more creative the better! The entries will be judged by a panel, which includes the Chief Scientific Officer of the Department of Health, and the best entries will win a prize.

Thank you to those schools who have already registered your interest in Healthcare Science Awareness Week, and you will be emailed your teacher's pack shortly. The pack will help you to run the activity in your school and submit your entry, and will tell you more about the crucial contribution made by healthcare scientists in the NHS.

This year we are encouraging healthcare scientists, through the Ambassador’s scheme, to visit schools and talk about their careers in the NHS, as well as help teachers out with running the activity.

 The pre-launch flyer can be downloaded here: