A summary of the events at the IBMS congress 2022.
After a two-year hiatus, March saw the welcome return of the IBMS Congress to the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. For the first time, we were there as Sonic Healthcare UK, having previously exhibited as Health Services Laboratories.
Day one kicked off with a series of lectures on quality and education within the service. One of the talks was given by Head of Laboratory Process Improvement, David Ricketts, who was invited to open the
round of discussions on quality within the laboratory. He updated delegates on the ISO 15189 standards and how it will affect laboratories not just in the UK, but around the world.
The exhibition opened to delegates on Tuesday 15th March. Sonic Healthcare UK staff were on hand at stand 302 in the main hall to discuss the business structure and services, laboratory locations, and staff training opportunities, while also launching the publication of the latest training and education report. Delegates were particularly impressed with their ‘live at the Halo’ feature, which gave delegates a real-time window into the work of the labs.
Sonic Healthcare UK also had the pleasure of sponsoring the education and training programme – themes that are important core values within the organisation. Sonic Healthcare UK’s investment in this area is second to none, enabling staff to reach their full potential.
The formation of Sonic Healthcare UK’s Education and Training Faculty ensures our workforce has excellent knowledge and skills, and creates a platform for sharing learning with partners in universities and beyond. The faculty has an expert group, providing leadership and links to regulatory bodies and institutions for higher education in London.
Throughout Congress, Head of Learning and Development, Wendy Leversuch, held talks on portfolio evidence, and alternative career paths in biomedical science. Head of Medical Training, Keith Gomez, and Consultant Biomedical Scientist, Hasit Patel, spoke to platelet function testing with the British Society for Haematology guidelines, and the YouScreen trial as part of self- sampling for cervical screening, respectively.
Five members of staff showcased their scientific posters to judges, delegates and visitors in Hall 4. Sonic Healthcare UK came away with a win when Wendy Leversuch’s entry to the education and training section of the poster competition, an investigation into the use of online training videos in support of laboratory bench training, won first prize.
Visitors to Sonic Healthcare UK’s stand had the chance to enter a competition to win a Fitbit Luxe. Entrants had to provide an answer to the question of, “how many samples the business had processed in 2021?”. The answer of 59 million was hidden on the stand and each day a lucky winner was drawn and left with a brand-new smartwatch.
It’s fair to say that Sonic Healthcare UK had a successful time at IBMS Congress and planning for Congress 2023 is already underway!