Scientific and research

You could join one of many departments that carry out specialist research and diagnostics on blood, blood products, organs and stem cells. They also provide patients and hospitals with specialist support for blood transfusions, stem cell and organ transplants.

Some of our main reference departments include:

• Red cell immunohaematology
• Histocompatibility and immunogenetics
• Microbiology services
• Cellular and molecular therapies

We are also home to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, which provides reference services and research products to customers around the world.

Our innovative research and development programme improves healthcare by discovering and developing new practices and products.

Conducted through strong academic partnerships and based around our unique capabilities, our programme is designed to deliver improvements in donor care and patient outcomes.

Our doctors work closely with our operational directorates to ensure donated blood, organs and tissues are safe for the patients receiving them. Some of our doctors also work jointly with hospitals to ensure blood transfusion practices and patient blood management are safe and efficient.

Whether your background is scientific or not, you’ll find that this is a place where your skills really matter.

When you join us in a support role, we’ll give you full training so you can contribute to our life-changing work and grow your expertise in a role that makes a difference to thousands.

NHSBT runs this MSc in partnership with the University of the West of England.

This MSc is designed to support the development of biomedical scientists and others, equipping you to progress as a scientist and leader in the NHS.

This is a 3-year programme of work-based learning, supported by a university accredited master's degree.

As a trainee on this programme, you will be employed by an NHS trust and will spend time in a range of settings, before specialising in the last 2 years of the programme.

The programme aims to help you become an expert at what you do – gaining the essential knowledge, skills, experience and attributes required of a newly-qualified clinical scientist in the NHS.

It’ll teach you how to undertake complex scientific and clinical roles, defining and choosing investigative and clinical options, and making key judgements about complex facts and clinical situations within a quality assurance framework.

You may get the chance to work directly with patients, but whether you’re face to face with patients or not, you’ll make an impact on patient care and outcomes – and help save lives.

This 5-year workplace-based training programme, supported by a Doctoral level academic award, gives healthcare scientists the opportunity to become eligible to apply for consultant scientist posts.

You will be trained to become one of the consultants of the future, offering a pivotal role to meet the challenges of delivering healthcare ‘at the limits of science’.

It’s unlike other training programmes under the MSc umbrella, because it requires you and your employer to develop an appropriate job plan against the demands of the specialty specific curriculum.

You’ll need to balance academic learning with work-based training and your assessments.