This course will appeal if you work in the provision of healthcare and want to develop the knowledge, capabilities and confidence to: 

• Ensure your own practice is as safe and effective as possible 
• Engage with others to design and develop safe and effective services. 

Many taking the PGCert are in clinical roles, including nurses, physicians (both family doctors and hospital specialists), surgeons and allied health professionals (AHPs).  AHPs that have successfully taken the course include pharmacists, clinical psychologists, paramedics and physician’s assistants. 

The emphasis on improvement and on designing safe and effective services is also relevant to those with managerial and advisory roles in healthcare, and social care.  Recent students have had backgrounds in service management, supply chain management, clinical governance, quality and service improvement team leadership and social care management. 

Motivations for taking the course include enhancing clinical practice, taking on a quality, safety or educational responsibility and providing the foundation for a clinical leadership or governance role. 

Alumni of the course have used the PGCert as a platform to: 

• Take on new leadership roles, alongside continuing clinical responsibilities or as a new direction in their career 
• Improve safety by designing out vulnerabilities and developing the team-working and communication skills of staff 
• Improve quality of care by redesigning care pathways and improving processes 
• Achieve a Master's level qualification. 

You can read about how some recent graduates have applied what they learned in the student profiles section of the department's website.