For Employers

Classification of Medical Illustrators in the NHS

Medical Illustrators working in the NHS are classified as Healthcare Scientists and form part of the ‘Physical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering’ group of the Healthcare Science workforce.

Members of the Healthcare Science workforce perform a range of different roles depending on their qualifications, experience, and level of specialisation. Although the workforce comprises approximately 5% of the overall healthcare workforce in the UK, their work underpins 80% of all diagnoses as well as therapeutic interventions.  It has been estimated that more than 65,000 individuals make up the Healthcare Science workforce.

Pay and Conditions
The national pay system for  Medical Illustrators working in  the NHS  is Agenda for Change  (AfC) which applies to  all staff (except doctors and the most senior managers). Gradings are dependent upon job descriptions and person specifications but as a general guide the following are applicable to this profession:
AfC  Band 4, Clinical Photography Assistants / Ophthalmic Imaging Technicians
  • For individuals performing defined duties and protocol-driven tasks of a Band 5 qualified clinical photographer’s role. Band 4 staff do not work autonomously and require supervision from within the service. Examples include Clinical Photography Assistants (who may manage and upload clinical images, or photograph patients in specific clinics under supervision) and Ophthalmology / OCT Technicians who provide perform OCT and non-mydriatric imaging. AfC Band 4 posts should not be used for Clinical Photographers in training.

AfC  Band 5 (Annex  21), Trainee Clinical Photographers / Medical Illustrators

  • Trainees will normally have a first degree in a subject relevant to their profession (e.g. photography, art or design). They should receive training in post and be studying for an IMI-accredited qualification. Trainee clinical photographers can carry out patient photography under supervision. (Trainees should only be appointed if there is a substantive Band 5 post is available at the end of their training.)

AfC Band 5, Clinical Photographers / Medical Illustrators

  • This is the entry grade for qualified and registered Clinical Photographers/ Medical Illustrators. These practitioners are capable of undertaking all aspects of clinical photography, working autonomously and should be on the AHCS register.

AfC Band 6, Specialist Clinical Photographers / Medical Illustrators

  • Often this role leads a sub-team of the department and has specialist knowledge and experience across multiple disciplines.

AfC Band 7, Expert practitioners/ section leaders of large departments/ heads of small departments.

AfC Band 8a to 8c, Heads of Service.

Sample job descriptions can be downloaded here.

Registration

Medical Illustrators are an essential part of the clinical team with the potential to do real harm to patients should things go wrong.

The Institute of Medical Illustrators strongly recommends that all qualified medical illustrators who are patient-facing are registered on the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) register, which is accredited  by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

For more information read Clinical Photography an accredited register profession (PDF)

Registration shows that an individual is committed to upholding high professional standards and to keeping their knowledge, skills and experience up to date through ongoing professional development.

There are various routes to qualify for registration including a Certificate of Competence that is run by the  Institute of Medical Illustrators on behalf of the  Academy for Healthcare Science.

You can search the AHCS register to check the practising status of a Medical Illustration Practitioner here:  www.ahcs.ac.uk/members/member.cfm

Recruitment and Advertising

The Institute of Medical Illustrators’ website is the go-to place when searching for employment opportunities and any NHS organisation can  advertise posts by  submitting a job  free of charge  or for more information contact: webmaster@imi.org.uk

Recruiting Temporary Staff

Medical Illustration is a small profession and this sometimes presents problems when recruiting for temporary staff, for example when covering maternity leave for a Clinical Photographer. In this case it may be necessary to appoint a trainee on Band 5 (Annex 21), provided there is a qualified Clinical Photographer in post who can provide supervision. A Trainee Clinical Photographer should have a degree in photography or an equivalent level of qualifications and professional experience. For further advice on training and qualifications contact: education@imi.org.uk

Interview Assessment

The Institute of Medical Illustrators  offers NHS organisations the opportunity to have a senior practitioner sit on interview and assessment panels free of charge.  Please contact the Honorary Secretary at: secretary@imi.org.uk

Organisational Policy

Medical  Illustrators work in a field that must strictly adhere to legislation with regard to consent and confidentiality. Medical Illustrators are often responsible for developing Trust-wide policy for organisations. Where such resource is unavailable, the Institute of Medical  Illustrators can provide assistance in providing information and sample policies.

Safeguarding Checks

The Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) is committed to keeping vulnerable groups (children and protected adults) safe by recommending effective screening processes and procedures when recruiting clinical and ophthalmic photographers. IMI recognises that the responsibility for having safe and careful recruitment processes in place rests with employers, and supports and encourages the use of enhanced checks to ensure appropriate candidates are selected for clinical and ophthalmic photographers job roles. Click here to download our detailed statement recommending the use of enhanced criminal record disclosure.

News  and Tendering Opportunities

The Institute of Medical Illustrators’ website is the knowledge hub for all practitioners and newsworthy items can be promoted here and via our social media networks. Please contact  the IMI webmaster:  webmaster@imi.org.uk

Find a Professional

Potential employers can search our membership database for a professional Medical Illustrator.

You can search by keywords such as legal, art, photography, video or design as well as searching by profession, town and region.

IMI Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Complaint Procedure

All IMI members are expected to abide by the IMI Code of Professional Conduct, which highlights the principal professional standards and practice that IMI members agree to uphold. You can find the code of conduct and complaints procedure here