Members awarded at IBMS Annual General Meeting

The Day was opened by IBMS President Debra Padgett, who welcomed all attendees and introduced the guest speaker Dr Nigel Brown, Head of Toxicology at Wansbeck General Hospital. His talk ‘A different way to die from explosives’ focused on dinitrophenol, an industrial chemical used in production of explosives which has been used as a dietary aid for some years and has become popular with body builders.

Council election results

The day’s proceedings also saw the election results of national and regional IBMS Council members.

Mr Azuma Kalu was appointed new Council member for Yorkshire, taking over the terms of Joanna Andrew as she was elected President Elect. Mrs Zonya Jeffrey and Mr Charles Houston are being re-appointed to their National seats and Dr Victoria Bradley to her regional seat for Wales. Dr Jane Needham has stood down from her seat on the Council for the South East.

Awards

Each year the IBMS is pleased to award prizes and medals to its most deserving members. A special resolution was passed to elect former IBMS President Professor Allan Wilson as Vice-President in recognition of his ongoing contribution to the IBMS and for the profession.

During his tenure as IBMS President, which began in January 2020, Allan helped to lead the profession through the worst of COVID-19 by voicing the insights and concerns of IBMS members in the media. His informed professionalism contributed to successfully raise the profile of biomedical scientists and healthcare laboratory professionals beyond levels ever seen before.

IBMS President, Debra Padgett, said:

“It is Allan’s breadth and depth of knowledge about the profession that has enabled him to be our strongest of advocates in multitude of contexts. His work has set us all further along the path where the full potential of the profession is realised, and patient care improved. Allan is one of the nicest and friendliest people you could ever wish to know and to have had him lead our profession has been a privilege. So, I can think of no more fitting tribute than to make Allan the award of Vice President of the IBMS.”

 

Life Membership

Life membership is one of the most distinguished honours that can be awarded to a member of the IBMS. Those chosen members need to have contributed outstanding service to the IBMS and their profession.

Life Membership has been awarded to Dr Michelle Brereton, Chief Biomedical Scientist at the Haematological Cancer Diagnosis Service in Manchester. She has been involved with the IBMS for 40 years and chairs the IBMS Manchester Branch since 2012. She has also represented the IBMS on the Board of Lab Tests Online UK, ensuring our views and position are well represented.

John Ringrow is a senior assessment manager for United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and has been a verifier and tutored on courses for the IBMS. With his knowledge and support, laboratories across the UK continue to develop and maintain high quality standards for staff and patients. He has been awarded life membership for his longstanding contribution to the profession and the Institute.

Neil Bentley has made significant contributions to the biomedical science profession all his working life, particularly in training and development of IBMS members. In recent years, he has made major contributions that supported notable benefits to public health microbiology and epidemiology. Neil could not be presented with his life membership in person, but his achievements were acknowledged.

Honorary Fellowship

IBMS Honorary Fellowship is awarded to non-members of high repute and distinction who have made a significant impact on the profession, the organisation or healthcare.

Professor Mike Osborn has been awarded Honorary Fellowship for his commitment and contribution to biomedical science that extends beyond his role as president of the Royal College of Pathologists. His contribution to pathology has given rise to improvements in patient care, through changes in policy, education and training and quality and governance. His support for the biomedical science community has been unwavering and unequivocal as he advocates for more and greater involvement of Biomedical Scientists in Pathology.

The Company Members' Prize of the Higher Specialist Diploma (HSD)

This prize is awarded annually to the candidates who in their first attempt earn the highest mark in each discipline of the Higher Specialist Diploma examination. The awards for 2022 go to:

Rebecca McAvoy based at Ulster Hospital for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize in Clinical Chemistry.

Shona Traynor based at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Scotland for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize in Leadership and Management.

Samantha Kitchener based at Freeman Hospital Newcastle for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize in Virology.

Nicola Chadburn based at Nottingham City Hospital for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize in Transfusion Science.

Emily Gallimore based at Manchester Royal Infirmary for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize in Immunology.

Richard Hull from Royal Oldham Hospital for the Higher Specialist Diploma Company Members Prize inCellular Pathology.

We also award a Company Members’ Prize for the candidate who achieved the highest mark across all the Diploma of Expert Practice qualifications and this year this will be awarded to Sarah Chir for her marks in the Diploma of Expert Practice in Histological Dissection – DEP in Histological Dissection. Sarah works at Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The RJ Lavington Prize

This prize, which consists of a cheque for £500 and a silver medal, is awarded to the candidate who at their first attempt receives the highest mark in the Higher Specialist Diploma examination across all disciplines. This year it was presented to Nicola Chadburn, who undertook the Higher Specialist Diploma in Transfusion Science.

IBMS President, Debra Padgett, said:

“We are united in our pursuit of quality and excellence. These awards are made in recognition of individual achievement. I extend my congratulations to all winners and thank our members for their support and dedication to the IBMS.”