The IBMS monthly statement - April 2023
Council recently convened to review IBMS progress after the first 12 months of the 2022 five-year strategy. Feedback suggests it has been a year of quiet success. Much of the groundwork to deliver our plans has started or is complete and the strategy is in the delivery stages.
Our Head of Learning and Development is facilitating, with the Practice Educator network, the adoption of a novel training approach for the specialist portfolio using digital tools. This is complete for biochemistry, with other disciplines to follow in the coming months.
We have increased and extended our Certificate of Expert Practice (CEP) programmes and increased the number of members who are eligible to undertake our qualifications in Point-of-Care Testing (POCT), IT and Molecular – aware that these subjects are not solely the domain of registered biomedical scientists.
The modularisation of the specialist portfolios is underway, and the expansion of our specialist advisory panels will support this work. This multi-year programme will be one of the most significant changes to the IBMS’ offering for some years.
We are ready to launch an advanced practice haematology programme and working to deliver a microbiology programme. Our strong and effective relationship with the Royal College of Pathologists helps us to jointly champion and deliver these advanced clinical roles, introduce them to UK labs and widen the call for biomedical scientists to work at the highest level.
A key part of our strategy was to maintain our visibility in the UK post-pandemic. The appointment of PLMR as our policy advisors has been a huge success in terms of reach and building a stage in which to influence government across the four home nations. We have built additional capacity to respond to calls for evidence and consultations, and we have ensured that our profile has not dropped as the pandemic has waned – making sure that our members’ voices are heard.
Our views and expertise are being sought by government bodies and industry partners. This has resulted in collaborations on important topics such as POCT, Digital and the new in vitro diagnostics regulation.
The IBMS is a very different place to even last year, with more staff, more to offer and a louder voice. We’re showing ourselves to be adaptable, creative and able to deliver significant work at pace. There is still much to do but our review shows that a complete delivery of the strategy is achievable and that the direction of travel remains one that is recommended to continue.
To read the review click here: STRATEGY 2022 – Update