The Institute of Biomedical Science

www.ibmscongress.com

IBMS Scotland

The IBMS in Scotland is the devolved Scottish committee of the IBMS which meets regularly to discuss all matters concerning the biomedical science profession as a whole, but with particular emphasis on the Scottish perspective.

It is the focus for representing the interests of Scottish biomedical scientists and working with the social, political, media and workforce planning issues facing the profession in Scotland. This includes publicising our profession to our fellow healthcare workers, the MSPs at the Scottish Parliament and to the general public at large. We are also communicating with the Scottish Executive in the Departments of Health and Education at every opportunity and wish to have as much communication and dialogue as possible with all members of the profession.

The committee comprises of representatives from all seven local branches in Scotland, two IBMS Council members and two representatives from the IBMS company members. Aside from working with Scottish issues the committee also sends representatives to the IBMS Council, which hosts meetings around the four devolved countries to determine policy on behalf of the profession. IBMS in Scotland is fully involved in all the different spheres of the Institute's work - science, education, workforce planning, commerce and science media publications. This ensures links with emerging trends and government initiatives happening in the other devolved countries such as the healthcare scientists strategy and pathology modernisation.

IBMS in Scotland Report 2011

IBMS activity is very robust in Scotland with a good number of meetings arranged for local members over the past year and although we have seen a drop in attendance there are still sufficient numbers to make the events worthwhile. We are acutely aware that many attendees are coming to meetings in their own time so organisers are doing all they can to keep fees as low as possible. In addition at all of our local and regional meetings, we are actively encouraging local student attendance by reducing or, where possible, waivering fees. Most branches are managing to support local committee meetings and representing IBMS on professional issues such as healthcare science committees, uiversity liaison groups and local events such as discussion groups, scientific meetings, quiz nights and golf outings.

The Scottish Training Forum were very active over 2011, the forum met on four occasions to discuss issues impacting on Scottish laboratories.

• The Scottish Training Forum agreed that current IBMS specialist portfolios could be improved to better meet the needs of laboratories with developing blood science approaches. The Forum, through Diane Anderson, worked the IBMS office to introduce a more flexible approach. One practical improvement was that staff undertaking specialist diplomas now have the opportunity to swap up to two modules, thus allowing the possibility of some blood science development.
• Biomedical support workers mandatory standards were published and the Forum concluded that these standards very much reflected what was already in place in most laboratories and that such standardisation was welcomed.
• The annual June event 'Training – All or Nothing' had 50 attendees. There were break-out sessions with positive feedback on evaluation.
• In August we held a specialist portfolio assessors day at Glasgow Caledonian University, 35 participants from across Scotland attended and 11 signed up to become assessors.

A few representatives of the IBMS in Scotland training forum members also participated in the NES NHS Life sciences; Healthcare Science ( HCS ) Support Worker and Assistant Practitioner ( AP) education and training group. The group met five times between September 2010 and June 2011. The remit and final report were published in Sept 2011.

The Scottish Quality Manager Discussion Group hosted two meetings in Perth and Glasgow in 2011. The SQMDG Quality Award scheme continues with a range of categories in which biomedical scientists can apply and students are also actively encouraged to submit.

We would like to say thanks to Mr Kenny Rae the outgoing President for his wisdom and efforts representing the Profession over these last difficult two years and congratulations and welcome to Mr Derek Bishop in this Centenary year!

Written by Betty Kyle, IBMS in Scotland chairperson

Contacting IBMS in Scotland

The IBMS in Scotland aims to represent and lead the Scottish profession but to do so successfully we need to hear from all members of the profession. Tell us what you think? Would you like to become involved and help promote the profession? If so you can either contact your local branch or one of the following:

Chairperson
Betty Kyle
E Betty.Kyle@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Secretary
Gillian Lowe
E gillian.lowe@faht.scot.nhs.uk

Treasurer
Ewan McGregor
E ewan.mcgregor@nhs.net

Scottish Regional Council Member
Betty Kyle
E Betty.Kyle@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Further information and links

Safe, Accurate and Effective: An Action Plan for Healthcare Science in NHSscotland
Scottish Pathology Network (SPAN)
NHSScotland: National Framework Advisory Group Diagnostic Services
Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive Health Department
Scottish Association of Health Councils
Scottish Health Advisory Service
Scottish Health on the Web
Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service
Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health
Chief Scientist Office