Richard Scott

Richard Scott is a consultant clinical scientist and chartered engineer, working as Head of Clinical Engineering at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Additionally he is the Professional Lead for Clinical Engineering and Reconstructive Science at the UK’s National School of Healthcare Science, (part of Health Education England).

An engineering placement in the Division of Anaesthetics at the Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, completed as part of an electronics degree at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, encouraged Richard to pursue a career in clinical engineering. Upon graduating in 1984 he joined the Wessex Regional Medical Physics Service, based at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, providing scientific support for clinical instrumentation and undertaking a range of research projects. He obtained an MSc in medical electronics and physics from St Bartholomew's Medical College, followed by a PhD at the University of Bath, investigating the frequency dependence of respiratory mechanics via the oscillatory airflow technique. Subsequently he specialised in the management of medical devices and contributed to establishing the local medical equipment management service. In 1995, the opportunity arose to become head of the Medical Equipment Management Department at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Nottinghamshire. In December 2016 he moved to Sheffield and continues to encourage healthcare scientists to work together to play a key role in adopting innovative practices and driving service transformation for patient benefit.

Richard has contributed to curriculum development for UK NHS clinical engineering education programmes across the career framework and has been keen to develop engineering personnel with skills to ensure that healthcare technologies are effectively managed and care advanced for patient benefit. He led the Clinical Biomedical Engineering Higher Specialist Scientist Training scheme curriculum writing group on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons, which has pioneered a new NHS consultant clinical engineer role.

Richard is active in the development of international electro-medical safety standards, serving on a range of British Standards Institution committees and is immediate past President of the Hospital Physicists' Association. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, served as their Vice President: Professional and has acted as a professional advisor to the UK Department of Health Modernising Scientific Careers team. Richard is one of the first UK clinical engineers to be admitted to the Academy for Healthcare Sciences Higher Specialist Scientist register.