A Growing Challenge: Why we need more Medical Physics, Clinical and Biomedical Engineering Professionals

The publication of Engineering and Tech in Higher Education is the latest report from Engineering UK. It highlights a widening gap between the demand for engineering skills and the number of people entering the profession. While this is a national challenge, its implications for Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are particularly significant, and increasingly urgent.

A workforce under growing pressure

Professionals working across Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are fundamental to modern healthcare. The Engineering UK report makes clear that demand for engineering skills continues to accelerate, with around a quarter of all UK job adverts in engineering and technology.

As healthcare becomes more technologically complex, this demand is translating directly into sustained pressure on our specialist workforce.

A pipeline that is not keeping pace

The supply of talent is not keeping up with demand. Only around 60% of engineering and technology graduates go on to work in those fields, representing a significant loss of potential capability.

For highly specialised areas such as Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, this gap is amplified. We are a relatively small profession, which requires advanced and often interdisciplinary skills. Losing talent at this scale has a direct impact on our capacity, resilience and future growth.

The report also highlights challenges in the transition from education into employment, with 9.1% of graduates reported as unemployed or seeking work 15 months after graduation. This points to a disconnect between education pathways and professional entry routes, an issue that must be addressed if we are to strengthen the pipeline into our professions.

A visibility and access issue

Awareness remains a fundamental barrier. Engineering UK identifies persistent challenges in access and diversity, including that only 1 in 5 undergraduate engineering and technology students are women.

For Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, the challenge is even more acute. Many potential entrants are simply unaware that these careers exist. This limits the pipeline at its earliest stage and constrains the ability of our profession to grow.

Why this matters now

Healthcare is entering a period of rapid transformation. Advances in digital health, artificial intelligence and medical technology are reshaping how services are delivered. These developments are dependent on a workforce with the capability to implement, manage and optimise increasingly complex systems.

Without sufficient professionals across Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering:

· The adoption of new technologies will be slower and less effective

· Integration across systems will be more difficult

· Risks to service resilience and patient safety will increase

“Medical physics and clinical engineering sit at the heart of modern healthcare, yet too often the profession is not visible enough. We must do more to raise awareness, strengthen pathways into the profession and invest in developing the workforce if we are to meet future demand.” President of IPEM, Mark Knight.

A clear need for coordinated action

Addressing these challenges requires a sustained and coordinated response across the system. Priorities include:

· Increasing awareness of careers in Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at school and university level

· Strengthening and expanding training pathways

· Supporting early career development and progression

· Broadening access to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce

IPEM’s role and next steps

As the professional body representing Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, with strong links to the wider Biomedical Engineering community, IPEM has a critical role to play in shaping the future workforce through education, training, accreditation and national influence.

In 2025, we published our Careers Guide, with a refreshed version due in early autumn 2026. We continue to share career profiles and articles highlighting the wide range of roles across the profession.  Please continue to share this with your network via social media or in any outreach activities.

Together, we can build a stronger, more visible and more sustainable workforce, equipped to meet the demands of modern healthcare, now and in the years ahead.