What Can I Do with a Health Studies Degree?

support worker with a health studies degree putting her hand on a female patient's shoulder

Designed for health and social care professionals, UWS London’s BSc (Hons) in Professional Health Studies looks at the relationship between integrated health and social care systems. Students focus on research skills and professional development and dive deep into contemporary healthcare issues such as reducing healthcare costs and providing a better experience for healthcare system users. Upon completion, they will have developed a holistic range of skills, preparing them for many roles within the healthcare industry. This course is perfect for individuals looking to advance their career as well as those wanting to make a change and begin their journey in the healthcare and social services industries.

With a degree in health studies, there are a number of jobs you can do depending on your interests, past experiences and goals such as…

What Jobs Can I Get?

Support workers work with individuals both in hospital and residential settings to help them live more independent lives. They provide both physical and emotional support for people with disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions helping with everything from daily routine tasks like cooking and cleaning to transporting clients to and from appointments and organising outings. Responsibilities can vary significantly based on the specific needs of the individual, with some support workers working full time with one individual while others can travel between clients throughout the day assisting with specific activities before moving on to the next individual.

Therapy assistants work alongside therapists, such as physiotherapists, to ensure patients receive the care they need and that everything runs smoothly. They help set up equipment for patients to use as well as helping patients learn how to use mobility aids and other tools. Therapy assistants can also assist with tasks such as dressing and undressing wounds, preparing patients for various treatments, and updating patient records based on the outcome of treatment. Therapy Assistants are needed in a variety of settings, including both outpatient and inpatient departments working with patients recovering from strokes, sports injuries, chronic conditions, cancer, paediatrics, mental health conditions and more.

Medical sales representatives work for pharmaceutical and medical supply companies and sell their products to pharmacies, hospitals, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Their main goal is to raise awareness for conditions and provide a solution to the problem. Most often, medical sales representatives are assigned a regional area and travel that area, meeting with various medical professionals and administrators to educate them about their products. These sales representatives serve as a vital link between the pharmaceutical and medical supply companies they work for and the healthcare professionals who rely on their products.

Health service managers oversee the day-to-day operations as well as the financial and strategic operations of a healthcare organisation, hospital or specific unit, GP practice, or health service. They work to manage the cost of healthcare while also improving the quality of the services. This is done by gathering data about clinical operations as well as looking at partner organisations and analysing the data in order to make the appropriate changes. Health service managers are also responsible for managing clinical, clerical and administrative staff to ensure that all operations run as smoothly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.

Similar to a health service manager, project managers are in charge of day-to-day management. But rather than overseeing entire departments or organisations, project managers oversee the six aspects that make up a project: scope, schedule, finance, risk, quality and resources. Within the healthcare industry, these projects often relate to an organisation improving the delivery or quality of its services. The project manager manages all of the team members for the project and oversees the project from the planning stage all the way through to implementation.

In addition to being able to hold a variety of roles, a degree in health studies can set you up to work for major UK-based companies, including the following.

What companies could I work for?

AstraZeneca

One of the largest pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the UK, AstraZeneca employs more than 70000 around the globe, including at its Cambridge headquarters. Most recently, AstraZeneca has made headlines for its COVID-19 vaccine, but the company also produces drugs used to treat cancer, respiratory diseases and conditions and type 2 diabetes. AstraZeneca regularly has new roles for medical sales representatives and project managers available, which provide opportunities to work in unique areas of the world and on some of the most innovative projects regarding the future of medicine.

Babylon Health

Babylon Health is a digital healthcare service that uses AI to connect patients with doctors and other healthcare providers using web and mobile applications. The company was founded in 2013 and has since expanded to multiple countries around the globe and now covers more than 20 million individuals worldwide. The services were originally only accessible as a private subscription but are now available to individuals with specific private insurance plans as well as through the NHS’s GP at Hand program. GP at Hand allows individuals in London and Birmingham to book an appointment with a GP in seconds using their mobile application, which is powered by Babylon Health’s technology. Across all their services, Babylon provides more than 5000 consults every day. To meet the demand their revolutionary technology generates, Babylon Health employs project managers in their London headquarters as well as therapy and clinic assistants at their in-person clinics in both London and Birmingham.

NHS

The largest healthcare employer in the UK with more than 1.5 million employees, there are numerous roles for health studies degree holders within the NHS. The NHS has been providing the UK with publicly funded healthcare since 1948 and quickly grew to employ more than 1 million people by the 1970s. Since its founding, the NHS has been committed to meeting the needs of everyone and, in order to do this, employs individuals from all different backgrounds for a wide variety of roles. In addition to hospital and clinical based roles, there are community and home-based roles supporting individuals in their everyday lives and ensuring that everyone receives the care they deserve.

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