If we’ve learnt one thing from our links with the healthcare scientists through our Advancing Healthcare awards over the years, it’s that they are an unassuming lot. They don’t blow their own trumpets.
Brendan Cooper, President of the Academy for Healthcare Science, has done a brilliant job in reminding us about the incredible work healthcare scientists are doing, In response to a tweet from the Department of Health and Social Care that mentioned everyone else, he tweeted:
‘Please check, you’ll find healthcare scientists have answered the call too. That’s HEALTHCARE SCIENTISTS! H-E-A-L-T-H-C-A-R-E S-C-I-E-N-T-I-S-T-S! They’ll be doing Covid19 tests, ventilating patients, procuring ventilators- you know minor stuff that also saves lives’,
In a rare statement on 20 April, 98-year-old Prince Philip thanked essential workers and made specific reference to part that scientists are playing. He said: ‘As we approach World Immunisation Week, I wanted to recognise the vital and urgent work being done by so many to tackle the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united in working to protect us from Covid-19.’
The healthcare scientists at Barking, Havering and Redbridge have cleverly redesigned their network poster to show what they are doing in testing and the care of Covid-19 patients.
The HCS network at @BHR_hospitals have redesigned their poster to highlight the work they are doing in response to COVID19.#Wegotoworkforyoupleasestayathomeforus @WeHCScientists #doingsciencestuff pic.twitter.com/0cNww6LdyD
— BHRUT Healthcare Science (@bhr_hcs) April 16, 2020
The President of the Institute of Biomedical Science Allan Wilson has been speaking out about how frustrated many hospital laboratory staff are about the lack of testing kits and reagents. He says: ‘Members have applied themselves to innovate to increase testing capacity and have platforms ready to meet 100,000 a day target but can’t source testing kits and reagents.’ He fears a Wild West competition between mass testing centres and labs for scarce supplies.
Habiba Yasmin thanks NHS Nightingale London for recognising and appreciating contribution of healthcare scientists.
Thank you @NightingaleLDN for recognising and appreciating the contribution of the #healthcarescience workforce @RichardGAxell @MThommyppillai @tsvetira @ipemnews @WeHCScientists @NSHCS pic.twitter.com/BKJLSZIz1P
— Habiba Yasmin (@HabibaYasmin3) April 19, 2020
Staffordshire University reminds us that they have seventy-five students training to be biomedical scientists through an apprenticeship degree that are now working in labs throughout the country, working extra hours in new roles to support their colleagues. Hull Teaching Hospitals tells us that their labs processed the country first Covid-19 samples so they are geared up to help. Now Twitter is alive with comments from healthcare scientists about testing underway in non-NHS centres while NHS labs stand by…
Their labs processed the country's first #COVID-19 samples, and now they're playing an essential part in the ongoing fight against #coronavirus. How amazing are our #biomedical #scientists ?! https://t.co/fpgyIJAiml @IBMScience #AtTheHeartOfHealthcare #ThankYouNHS pic.twitter.com/vkXmUO6pdV
— Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (@HullHospitals) April 16, 2020
We’ll do our bit here at Chamberlain Dunn to blow the trumpet for healthcare scientists. Tell us what’s going on in your patch and we’ll spread the word.
#BehindEveryTest #AtTheHeartOfHealthcare