Search

NHS England established the Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) in 2018 to realise the potential of genomics in healthcare. The NHS GMS built upon the existing NHS infrastructure and used learnings from the 100,000 Genomes Project to embed genomics through a world leading innovative service model from primary and community care through to specialist and tertiary care.

A consolidated national genomic laboratory network was established with seven GMS Alliances working together to support the clinical leadership and embedding of genomic medicine in end-to-end pathways more broadly and the working with other key clinical specialties. Equitable genomic testing is delivered through a single mandated National Genomic Test Directory for improved outcomes in cancer, rare, inherited and common diseases, and in enabling precision medicine and reducing adverse drug reactions.

Working in partnership with Genomics England the delivery of the whole genome sequencing service and ongoing key research initiatives are integral in developing the genomic service. Ongoing evolution of the service through cutting-edge science, research and innovation to ensure that patients can benefit from rapid implementation of advances is critical.

Scleroderma

Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable differences in health across the population, and between different groups within society. Health inequalities arise because of the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. These conditions influence our opportunities for good health, and how we think, feel and act, and this shapes our mental health, physical health, and wellbeing. The COVID-19 shone harsh light on the pre-existing health inequalities which persist in our society. It has become increasingly clear that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on many who already face disadvantage and discrimination. The impact of the virus has been particularly detrimental on people living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, on people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic minority communities and those with a learning disability.

In England, there is a 19-year gap in healthy life expectancy (whether we experience health conditions or diseases that impact how long we live in good health) between the most and least affluent areas of the country, with people in the most deprived neighbourhoods, certain ethnic minority and inclusion health groups getting multiple long-term health conditions 10 to 15 years earlier than the least deprived communities, spending more years in ill health and dying sooner.

The Biomedical Sciences have a significant and pivotal role to play in narrowing the health inequalities gap through Research, Innovation and Life Sciences and its extensive reach across clinical practice within the NHS.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is the most widely distributed hard tick-borne disease in the world.

Different factors, such as a better knowledge of the disease, but also trade, modifications of the migratory bird routes and, probably, the climate change are favouring its increase.

The example of the emergence in Spain will be reviewed.

This talk will focus on how level 2 and level 4 apprenticeships can help to engage in widening participation and EDI agenda as well as create an entry level workforce pipeline and staff that can be grown through apprenticeship progression routes into the Biomedical science profession.

An overview of the UKTLC collaborators and history of the UKTLC. An introduction to the new standards and the evidence supporting these and the findings of the 2022 UKTLC survey.

Using accreditation to support the validity of test results: pre-examination requirements of ISO 15189:2022

The principles of validation and verification have long been established and laboratories are generally familiar with these although there remain some issues which are commonly seen within verification reports during assessments. Some of these require some further attention and discussion, including consideration of sample type, verification across multiple sites and approaches used when upgrading analysers. Alongside these common issues, ISO 15189:2022 has now been issued with assessments to become mandatory to the new standard from January 2024 and whilst the principles of validation and verification are generally unchanged, there are some differences which will require review of internal procedures and approaches to verification. Awareness of these changes will form a part of the presentation, along with issues commonly seen, being hoped these will promote some thought as to how laboratories can consider the local approaches used.

Leadership wellbeing is about cultivating an environment of care, for others around you but also importantly for yourself.

Taking an active approach on wellbeing leads to better communication, efficiency and ultimately higher performance. It has a huge impact on staff retention, allowing staff to feel seen and understood, and giving them the opportunity to explore their creativity. Wellbeing starts with self-reflection to understand individual obstacles. Creating a space to identify these, allows the member to respond appropriately, thereby not reacting immediately.

Discussing some helpful tips and taking part in a few activities, we hope that members will take some of these useful tools to their own areas to use.

What’s in the new precompatibility guidelines?