Clinical engineer

You’d design the amazing technology and medical implants which help injured or disabled people enjoy better health and greater independence. You might even work on creating technology to research disease! 

You could work on the equipment used for keyhole surgery, design wheelchairs or create artificial limbs for people with disabilities. 

You’d test equipment like:

• walking aids 

• wheelchairs 

• speech synthesizers 

As a clinical engineer, you can specialise in one of four areas:

• clinical measurement 

• medical equipment management 

• engineering design and development 

• rehabilitation engineering 

Clinical measurement

In clinical measurement, you’ll help to provide specialist diagnostic tests in clinical areas such as urology, ophthalmology, and cardiology.  

Some typical tasks include:

• carrying out diagnostic tests  

• monitoring and assessing the effects of treatment interventions 

• reporting findings back to the patient’s care team 

• implementing quality control procedures and and  

• making sure all work is carried out in line with national guidelines and relevant legislation 

Medical equipment management

In medical equipment management, you’ll maintain equipment used to deliver healthcare services to make sure it’ is working properly and safe to use. 

Some typical tasks include:

• calibrating and maintaining medical equipment, including scanners, imaging machines, and monitoring systems 

• commissioning and acceptance testing of new equipment 

• advising patients and healthcare professionals on the correct use of equipment 

Engineering design and development

Engineering design and development teams create bespoke medical devices to meet the needs of a range of clinical services. These teams have a range of expertise, which includes mechanical, electronic, and software devices. 

Some examples include: 

• wearable electronic devices to monitor vital signs 

• 3D printed moulds to help with patient positioning 

• web or mobile applications that perform calculations on clinical data 

• applications to present data to help with clinical decision making 

Some typical tasks include:

• extensive background research to understand the clinical problem the device is trying to solve, the users of the device, and the environment in which the device will be used 

• iterative design and development, including prototyping and evaluating different technologies and approaches to solving the clinical problem 

• comprehensive risk management to ensure the devices produced are safe, effective and meet the legal requirements for a medical device 

Rehabilitation engineering

In rehabilitation engineering, you’ll manufacture or adapt assistive technology, including wheelchairs, artificial limbs and robotic aids to meet a person’s needs. 

Some typical tasks include:

• designing custom seating or headrests for posture support, so a patient can sit unaided in their wheelchair 

• assessment, specification and commissioning of specialist mobility controls for powered wheelchair users 

• developing artificial limbs or joints to help people regain control over their movement and improve their mobility 

It'd be very important to keep up to date with scientific, engineering and medical research.

• Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine – Careers information from the professional body for clinical engineers

• Engineering Council UK - The UK regulatory body for the engineering profession

• Institution of Engineering and Technologies

• Tomorrow's Engineers - Careers resources for young people from Engineering UK and Royal Academy of Engineering

• Health and Care Professions Council - Regulates people working in health, psychological and social work

• NHS Education for Scotland – Training for the healthcare workforce including higher education and professional development

• NHS Careers – discover pay rates for roles in the NHS

• Find work placements on careers NHS