Sponsored by: bioMérieux

Winner: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital – Drink Spiking

This Norfolk anti-drink-spiking programme is the only service in the UK offering cutting-edge toxicology screening to the public. It has been heralded as the gold standard in combating spiking and rolled out across the region.
Michelle’s skills as a biomedical scientist have allowed her to marry this toxicology service to communications, education and delivery.
The campaign led to a reduction in spiking cases in Norfolk and has increased confidence in the region’s night-time economy. Michelle’s success has caused the Office of the Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner to agree to fund the programme in the future. As well as giving the public access to near-forensic standards of screening, rapidly and at no cost, the data collected is crucial in determining the true extent and nature of these crimes.

Judges said: “This is an innovative and creative application of a laboratory test. Biomedical scientists do not always think outside of the laboratory and so this project shows great initiative.”

Winner: Liverpool John Moores University

One of the first universities in the country to offer Applied Biomedical Science accredited by the IBMS and with approval from the HCPC in 2005, Liverpool John Moores remains committed to providing the biomedical science workforce with highly skilled and motivated researchers.
The university is dedicated to cultivating career-ready scientists and intertwines employers, researchers and colleagues from Student Futures within the curriculum. Teaching shaped by research is a driver of the programme.
Today, performance in the BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science degrees continue to exceed expectations. Academically, students perform exceptionally well: 74% of graduates received either a first or upper second-class degree in 2023–24. And, reflecting the institution’s ethos of employability, 70% of graduates report a positive outcome in graduate outcomes survey.

Judges said: “The university’s long-standing commitment to biomedical science education is evident through decades of hands-on support from HCPC-registered tutors, impressive student outcomes and innovative, industry-focused training – ensuring graduates are both competent and confident, while actively sharing best practices through public engagement and regional collaboration.”

Winner: Keele University

The EDI initiative at Keele aimed to develop a new inclusive institutional framework that reduced overdependency on reasonable adjustments to remove common barriers in education. It also intended to build EDI into the design and delivery of all teaching and learning and create positive and socially cohesive learning environments.
Although the changes have not been implemented for long, the number of individual reasonable adjustments has already been reduced from more than 500 to around 60. This has significantly improved the efficiency of workflow in Keele’s Disability, Support and Inclusion team, supporting a refocus of resources on more difficult, complex cases.
Keele has changed its previous policy of capping students with reassessment at a module level to instead only capping at the assessment component. This allows the university to recognise individual strengths rather than focusing excessively on individual weaknesses. It has also introduced mandatory training on educational practice for all staff involved in teaching on a two-year basis.

Judges said: “Keele University’s EDI initiatives focus on proactive, inclusive practices that go beyond traditional methods of accommodating diverse students. The impact that is being seen at this early stage of implementation is commendable.”

Winner: Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary – Blood Science

Since 2019, the team at Dumfries and Galloway has delivered 20 fun but educational Harvey’s tours to paediatric patients with many different conditions. The positive impacts include demystifying biomedical science, improving medical care and having beneficial effects on children’s confidence.
Pre-tour questionnaires allow staff to prepare for any fears visiting children may have. For example, the team discovered that one child with cystic fibrosis was frightened of blue gloves. Switching to purple gloves made future procedures much less stressful. And post-tour feedback allows the team to meet the needs of the young people more effectively: siblings are included so they do not feel left out and sometimes the tours are run in the evenings or weekends to ease the strain on families’ lives.

The benefits of allowing children to visit the lab include reduced anxiety and the ability to receive treatment or have bloods taken with less stress when attending appointments. Treatment can then be delivered without difficulty and with less angst for all concerned.

Judges said: “From the preparation to the very real, tangible benefits to staff and patients, there are very profound reasons that this entry is the winner of this award. The glowing testimonials also show how feedback is being used highly effectively.”

Sponsored by: Source LDPath

Winner: NHS Lothian, the Hep C Trust and the Scottish Prison Service – Blood-Borne Virus Elimination

The Hepatitis C Trust’s high-intensity treatment and testing (HITT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is part of the fight to eradicate the disease from Scotland by 2025 and the world by 2030. This partnership of three organisations piloted the first Scottish prison HITT programme to stop the spread of HCV within the prison, between prisons and within the wider community.
All three organisations were keen to understand the process and requirements from each other and share any learning and outcomes to improve patient care as well as their own professional understanding.
An impressive total of 836 prisoners in HMP Edinburgh (around 90% of the population) were tested, and 14 HCV-positive samples were identified. The team decided on dried blood spot testing because of the reluctance or inability of some prisoners to give venous access. Numerous staff members volunteered to work overtime to meet the agreed three-day turnaround of dried blood spot samples. Every single staff member ensured that they fulfilled their role to the best of their ability, which ensured a successful outcome.
Thanks to the success of the pilot, HITT will be rolled out across other Scottish prisons.

Judges said: “The collaborative efforts of these organisations exemplify a model of partnership that is both effective and impactful.”

Sponsored by: Sarstedt

Winner: Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) – Clinical Biochemistry

Historically, Clinical Biochemistry services at CTMUHB had disposed of plastic waste through costly and polluting incineration. To improve, CTMUHB partnered with Elite Paper Solutions (EPS) and other stakeholders to embed circular economy principles in waste management, significantly reducing reliance on incineration and landfill.
This initiative has not only reduced clinical waste and minimised carbon emissions but also created meaningful employment opportunities for disadvantaged people.
By segregating and recycling clean clinical plastics, overall health board clinical waste was reduced by 15%, lowering incineration emissions and contributing to a smaller carbon footprint. During a six-month trial, 2000 reagent bottles and 9000 tip trays were diverted from incineration and repurposed for sustainable manufacturing uses instead.
In addition, people with disabilities or social disadvantages gained meaningful employment through training programmes facilitated by EPS. And apprenticeships were created under Welsh Government upskilling schemes, enhancing participants’ long-term employability.

Judges said: “The winner promoted biomedical science within the wider community, using sustainability as a vehicle to demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to engaging with and supporting its local population.”

Winner: North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Pathology Alliance Training Academy

The NENC Pathology Alliance Training Academy (PATA) is designed to support continued high-quality patient care through its workforce. It aimed to recruit and train 20 biomedical scientists to HCPC registration across the pathology network, reducing duplication and making efficiencies in training.
NENC is the biggest integrated care system in England both in geography and number of NHS staff employed. It is England’s first pathology network to be approved by the IBMS for registration training and the first multidisciplinary training laboratory approval within the NENC network and the second point-of-care training-approved department in the NENC network.
The approaches and concepts put in place during this pilot will lead the way for more cross-network, collaborative approaches to training and education, reducing unnecessary duplication, sharing expertise and creating more opportunities for new and existing staff.

Judges said: “A well thought out programme, with demonstrable benefits gained through training delivered at multiple levels. A unique and innovative approach that required a very great deal of negotiation between the participating organisations.”