David Wells, IBMS Chief Executive, takes a look at where the Institute is and where it’s heading.
As we end our 110th year, I thought it might be an opportune moment to reflect on where we are as an organisation and, I have to say, I am proud to be part of where the IBMS is and where it is heading.
We’re finding more ways than ever to enable our members to progress in their careers, securing more routes to funding for advanced qualifications, expanding our specialist advisory panels to encompass new and emerging fields within the profession and diversifying how we provide our education services.
With the appointments of Dr Sue Jones as our new Executive Head of Education and Donna Torrance as our new Head of Learning and Development, we are adapting and progressing the qualifications that we offer and also providing more online courses and training than ever before. With a Head of Digital Learning in the pipeline, we will also be looking at new ways to develop and deliver all our qualifications digitally.
Our networks and reach are growing with government, practice educators and regulatory and policy institutions – enabling us to make sure that the right decisions are being made at the outset so that we can enhance the profession from the ground up. In the long term, our newfound reach will enable us to make laboratory training more achievable and staff retention more likely.
This year has seen the 60th anniversary of RCPath, the 30th anniversary of BIVDA and the 20th anniversary of the AAPT – all of which I have attended with IBMS President Debra Padgett. It must be said, our President is doing great work networking with our sister organisations, lobbying on behalf of the profession, and representing us around the UK – keeping us in the spotlight post pandemic.
I feel like the IBMS and all of the organisations above are working better together. The pandemic has revived our collaborative thinking and helped us all to realise the singularity of our goals – supporting our members to provide the best possible patient care.
It gives me great hope for the future careers of our members because I believe that if our skills are being underutilised then this will now be recognised and addressed – for the collaborative goodof the services we all provide.
If our founders could see where we are 110 years later, and the importance we hold in almost all healthcare pathways, I think they would be proud of our progress in the field of biomedical science and doubly proud of all the ways that we have found to support our members along the way.
David Wells Chief Executive