Events on 28 September 2023

How to report staining intensity for flow cytometry EQA exercises

Global travel and migration trends have meant a huge increase in the numbers of people exposed to tropical parasitic diseases. Thus, there is an increasing need for robust, reproducible and reliable screening as well as diagnostic techniques. These existing and emerging technologies all currently co-exist; each with their own specific and general pitfalls and limitations.

Thus, the need for fit-for-purpose qualitative EQAs or Proficiency Testing schemes for these parasite diagnostics remains pivotal and very timely. My talk at this congress will present findings and recommendations from Parasitology EQA schemes offered by UK NEQAS and will highlight the importance of quality management in the field.

Promoting and supporting training and education is an integral part of the work of UK NEQAS. As such the online Digital Morphology for CPD scheme (DM) was introduced some years ago as a companion to our glass-slide blood films for morphology (BF) EQA scheme. DM has been very successful and registration currently stands at just over 4,000 participants. DM recently underwent a major change when it was moved to a new platform and is now hosted on the UK NEQAS Haematology EQATE system.

The new EQATE platform offers significant flexibility over the old and allows for the development of additional modules, for example the recently introduced Haemosiderin cytochemistry EQA. Other new modules and features are proposed with some actively under design and testing. This presentation will look at how Digital Morphology and the EQATE platform have evolved, where we are with regards to the currently available modules, some of the challenges we face and a look at some future developments.

Digital Morphology for CPD. What can we learn about morphology reporting from the past 15 years?

This presentation will provide a detailed review of the updated HCPC Standards of Proficiency (SoPs) for biomedical scientists. The standards were updated in 2022 and have been implemented from 1st September 2023.

The updated SoPs for biomedical scientists align to the contents of the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio which must be successfully completed to register as a biomedical scientist. The updated Registration Training Portfolio (Version 5.0) has been mapped to the updated HCPC SoPs and will be issued to all applicants after 1st September 2023.

Both colleagues undertaking training to become registered biomedical scientists and those who are already registrants with the HCPC will be required to meet the new HCPC SoPs.

The language in the updated SoPs is much more focussed on demonstrating the standards rather than having knowledge of them, which will require a shift in how we evidence that the standards are met in practice.

This session will discuss the Version 5.0 portfolio structure, examples of evidence types that can be used to demonstrate the updated standards and will also introduce the mandatory pieces of evidence that are now part of each module of the Version 5.0 IBMS Registration Training Portfolio. The rationale for the changes to the portfolio and the support available from the Institute during this transition period will also be explained.

This talk will be informative for anyone who is involved in or responsible for pre-registration laboratory training, in particular registration training portfolio candidates, training officers, laboratory managers and university placement tutors.

Several sessions will be presented by the IBMS Head of Digital Education (Jim Taylor) throughout Congress, explaining how the Version 5.0 digital portfolio on Onefile will provide and enhanced training experience over traditional paper-based portfolios.

A modular approach to the Specialist Portfolios

The transition to a digital-only Registration Training Portfolio using the ePortfolio platform Onefile, will redefine students, apprentices and laboratory-based staff complete this integral part of their journey to HCPC registration as biomedical scientists and represents an up-to-date approach to education and training.

This talk (the second of three) will demonstrate how Onefile can be used by trainees and trainers to provide an enhanced training experience over traditional paper-based portfolios. We will delve into the use of Onefile to create and upload evidence; set tasks and monitor deadlines; organise meetings and track progress against the HCPC Standards of Proficiency; identify training gaps and create workflows to sign-off each module in the portfolio. We will see how Onefile provides a comprehensive audit trail with minimal user input and how this can be used to help ensure quality education and training in the workplace.

We suggest that this talk will be informative to trainees undertaking version 5.0 of the Registration Training Portfolio, as well as delegates in roles that support trainees, such as training officers/managers and university placement tutors.

Additional talks focusing on other elements of Onefile are scheduled for the lunchtime programme on Wednesday (Hall: 11) and the afternoon subsidiary programme on Thursday (Hall: 4).

This presentation will explain the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) return to practice process and the support offered by NHS England’s National Return to Practice programme to return skilled professionals back into the NHS workforce.

This presentation will cover the below content:

HCPC requirements to return to the register
Routes to returning to the HCPC register
NHS England’s Return to Practice programme support to returners and organisations and systems
Returner registration on the NHS England Return to Practice programme
Considerations for organisations wanting to support a returner to practice.

A robust approach to Registration Training Portfolio verification is crucial to maintaining the high standards of confidence in the reputation of HCPC-registered biomedical scientists. The transition to a digital-only Registration Training Portfolio using the ePortfolio platform Onefile will provide a more streamlined approach to portfolio verification allowing verifiers to focus on what matters most… the assessment of a trainee’s competence.

This talk (the last of three) will demonstrate how verifiers can use Onefile to verify the evidence provided by the trainee and approved by their training officer or manager, using a number of tools to track evidence against the HCPC Standards of Proficiency. Onefile’s ePortfolio allows verifiers to gain a holistic view of the trainee’s understanding, enabling verifiers to scaffold the discussion during the verification visit and laboratory tour. We will see how Onefile provides a comprehensive system to arrange the verification visit (either virtually or in person), complete the verification report, and manage the final sign-off of the verified portfolio. Onefile’s inbuilt audit trail minimises the administration associated with portfolio verification, and we will show how this can be used to help improve the quality of education and training in the workplace.

We suggest that this talk will be most informative to post-registration staff involved in overseeing training, such as training officers/managers and verifiers.

Additional talks focusing on other elements of Onefile are scheduled for the lunchtime programme on Wednesday (Hall: 11) and the morning subsidiary programme on Thursday (Hall: 4).

The analysis of free light chains in clinical laboratories to support the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of Myeloma has evolved over 6 decades. From urine analysis for Bence Jones Protein using gel electrophoresis in the 1950s to the launch of the first commercial assay for serum free light chain measurement in 2001.

This talk will describe the biochemistry of free light chains and the benefits and challenges of the different methodologies available in laboratories today. I will also describe the complexity of clinical interpretation of results, highlighting relevant national guidance, recently developed diagnostic tools for clinicians and testing advice for laboratories.