Staff from across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have had glittering success at a national awards ceremony to celebrate the work of healthcare scientists.
The Chief Scientific Officer’s Awards for Healthcare Science were held as part of Healthcare Science Week, to celebrate the skills and expertise of healthcare scientists across Scotland.
They recognise innovation and transformation within our services, leadership within our workforce, and high quality education and service delivery. They also provide a platform to share best practice throughout the profession.
And of the seven categories, NHSGGC staff were named winners in three – including the coveted Healthcare Scientist of the Year category – and runners-up in four.
In addition, a former NHSGGC staff member, who has now retired, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Following the awards, Professor Jann Gardner, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “Healthcare Science is an important professional family within the NHS, and our many NHSGGC staff are absolutely critical to the safe, efficient and effective provision of care to our patients.
“Every day they go above and beyond, sometimes on the frontline of care, but more often in the background, and these awards are fitting recognition of everyone who has chosen Healthcare Science as a career.
“I would like to congratulate those who were named as winners and runners-up, but I would also like to thank everyone else who was nominated, or who simply does their best for our patients every day.”
And the winners are:
Healthcare Scientist of the Year: Mark Mason (pictured above), Biomedical Scientist, Sandyford Sexual Health Services.
“Mark is a prominent biomedical scientist … who allows the clinic to offer a world class satellite laboratory for near-patient microscopy. Mark is also involved in academic research which has been critical in improving treatment options and outcomes for patients.”
Excellence in Clinical Leadership: Claire Tarbert, Clinical Scientist, Medical Physics
“Claire is described as having energy and motivation which positively impacts the work of the specialist team providing medical devices to support patient care. Claire also works to ensure HCS is afforded the same visibility as other professions – developing networks to embed HCS in the wider system.”
Support Worker of the Year: Brian McGill, Assistant Physiologist, Women’s and Children’s Services
“Brian works tirelessly to promote change, make cost savings, streamline processes within his department whilst ensuring the patients journey is happier and less intimidating. He is described by both his colleagues and patients to be positive, hardworking and solution focussed who is always happy to work with colleagues in other departments to share knowledge and advice.”
Runners-up:
Rising Star Award: Ainsley Steel, Specialist Biomedical Scientist, Biochemistry, QEUH.
Education in Practice: Robin Mark McDade, Advanced Specialist Clinical Technologist, Nuclear Cardiology, and Kathy McFall, Head of Service, Medical Illustration.
Excellence in Workforce Collaboration: Catherine Watt, Principal Genetic Counsellor, Clinical Genetics.
Quality in Action: Naomi Elkin, Clinical Scientist, UK NEQAS Cardiac Markers Lab.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded personally by the Chief Scientific Officer for Scotland, this award recognises a lifetime of incredible contribution to the NHS in Scotland which has made substantial positive impact on the NHS and population health.
Alan Reid, Principal Clinical Scientist (retired)
“Alan has worked in the Biochemistry department at NHS GGC as a Principal Clinical Scientist, and was the Scheme Organiser for UK NEQAS Cardiac Markers.
“The UK NEQAS Cardiac Markers service was established to provide an external quality assessment service to improve cardiac biomarker investigations in the clinical laboratory sector for the benefit of patients.
“This is a service that Alan set up in 1997 and continued to develop until he retired, although he still remains involved as a trusted advisor to the Scheme.
“Throughout his career, and particularly as part of this scheme, Alan made a significant contribution to assure the quality of cardiac biomarker investigations in clinical laboratories.
“Development of suitable material and establishment of the service has helped ensure the quality of cardiac marker assays and services across clinical laboratories in the UK, and further afield.
“He has demonstrated excellence in workforce collaboration and clinical leadership throughout this time, and information obtained from the Scheme has been fed back to manufacturers to assist with improvement and further development of commercially available assays.
“Alan was also involved with research activities looking at the quantitative diagnostic methods for biomarkers of coronary heart diseases.
“Furthermore, Alan, as lead for UK NEQAS Cardiac Markers, identified a requirement to initiate a dedicated meeting to educate and involve clinical scientists, biomedical scientists, clinicians and the diagnostics industry in the continuously evolving area of cardiac markers and their role in diagnosis and treatment. This led to the establishment of the Cardiac Marker Dialogues meeting. Now a popular international meeting attended by world experts in the field, Alan was involved with organising the sixth successful Cardiac Marker Dialogues meeting in Glasgow in September 2024.”
