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THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE 18 SCIENTIST Cover story FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS Specialist Biomedical Scientist Shahid Nazir Muhammad looks at how smarter services can be provided through embracing collaborative working. ealthcare access and delivery and collaborative working. face significant global and Scientists have traditionally been local challenges – funding perceived (if at all) as “those who support restraints in healthcare diagnosis in secondary care”, or those practices mean that there who “run the tests behind the scenes” is now more need than ever – the public do not really understand to ensure technology is who we are and what we do. available to better integrate However, there is now scope for services, to allow swifter delivery of scientists to become involved in Hclinical and biomedical-centred care for community services and to support patients in community. integrated care and best practice. To ensure better health of the general population through smarter working, Perceived challenges there is a need to highlight the scientist’s The creation of new technologies could role in wider community and this can be support scientists to develop a more achieved through better use of technology clinical role, providing information on SCIENCE THE BIOMEDICAL Cover story SCIENTIST 19 CONSULTANT BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST PATRICK KUMAH ON EVOLVING ROLES It is important to look at smart and innovative ways of working in pathology, to motivate existing members of staff and to attract new members of staff. Advancing roles for scientists is a way of providing new career pathways, and ways in which individuals can grow and develop. During my time in the Department of Histopathology at the Royal Derby Hospital, my role as a scientist has advanced and evolved in ways that I never even imagined. When I started as a trainee biomedical scientist in the 1990s, specimen dissection was something that only the medics did. However, with the support and training that I received in Derby, I have gained both the Diploma of Expert Practice in Specimen Dissection and the Advanced Specialist Diploma in Breast Specimen Dissection. Derby participated in the biomedical screening and diagnostic services and science histopathology reporting pilot study. I started my training in health promotion. gastrointestinal pathology reporting in Patients are being encouraged to use 2012. I was successful in my final exams in technology, web portals, social media and My role as a 2016, and was awarded the IBMS/RCPath phone apps, to help them better manage Advanced Specialist Diploma in GI their own health. While websites, such as scientist has Histopathology Reporting. I am currently in Stage D of my GI reporting training and LabTests Online, provide patients with advanced and being progressively signed off to report GI information on what tests are for and pathology cases independently. My new why they are being requested from a role as a Consultant Biomedical Scientist is healthcare provider. In this context, the evolved in ways a combination of reporting, dissection, climate is right for scientists to identify teaching, training and clinical audit. I also that I never even participate in the General GI EQA Scheme. novel ways of working and collaborating Now Derby has put forward other with other healthcare teams. imagined colleagues of mine to undergo training to For example, in collaboration with report Gynaecological Pathology and community pharmacists, scientists could Dermatopathology. Our Clinical Director provide simple explanations on the has a vision of the Derby histopathology department having specialist teams purpose of certain tests and the broad containing both medical and non-medical implications of results. staff who can all dissect and report. This is Primary care is evolving, however, definitely a far cry from how things were there is little collaboration and uptake when I started out back in the 1990s. of technology to support patients in managing their healthcare needs more Patrick Kumah is a Consultant Biomedical innovation, using the knowledge that Scientist in Gastrointestinal Pathology at is resident within the biomedical Royal Derby Hospital. IMAGES: ISTOCK/SARAH AULD science workforce. THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE 20 SCIENTIST Cover story While community pharmacists have roles and skillsets for delivery of medicines management, they too have similar challenges to biomedical scientists relating to wider practice. It has been highlighted that point of care testing (POCT) or near-patient testing (NPT) are becoming increasingly important. The up-front costs of POCT initiatives can deliver greater “down stream” savings, through the better use of early stage pathology screening tests. Further development of POCT/NPT programmes involving collaborations between biomedical scientists and community pharmacists would allow wider service availability in primary care. While scientists have unique aptitudes and capabilities, their skillset and knowledge have not been utilised in community-based services because scientists have not been regarded as having a primary role in patient care. Technology providing scope With the expanding utilisation of technology by public health providers and service users, there is a need to evaluate professions to better support patient care the scientist’s role in the wider in defined clinic and community settings. community. Studies have found that a CLINICAL LEAD JANE significant proportion of the public rely Conclusion NEEDHAM ON GRASPING on the internet to make critical health Scientists and pharmacists should be OPPORTUNITY decisions and often bring information playing an important role in supporting We know from the many NHS reviews, retrieved from the internet into care for patients with complex needs, as reports and our experiences, that demand healthcare consultation. Whilst long- well as in providing educational events in for highquality healthcare is limitless and term conditions can be managed by community settings, based on health and the resources to deliver are not. It is the appropriate use of medicines and care needs relating to ailment and recognised that there is a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise residing ongoing care-plans, there is the potential disease. A range of developments have within the workforce, and that includes, for scientists to provide services and been called for in support of the further biomedical scientists, which needs to be information that support patient expansion of medicines optimisation used effectively to deliver the quality care self-care. activity. This includes referring patients that patients need now and for the future. Patient Group Directions allow certain to a community pharmacy for medication Many of our members are already working in advanced roles, having healthcare professionals to supply and planning before starting any treatment, developed their expertise, knowledge administer specified medicines to and strengthening the transfer of and skills to a very high standard through pre-defined groups of patients, without a medicines information, for example, by continuously developing clinical and prescription. There is a case for including providing all community pharmacists scientific practice, within the laboratory biomedical scientists in this group of with NHS.net website addresses. SCIENCE THE BIOMEDICAL Cover story SCIENTIST 21 Understanding how the expansion of roles, economics, and technology will allow better care and management of There is a patients in community is key. At present, however the evidence-base need to evaluate for collaborative working has been insubstantial. Biomedical science practice the scientist’s as a “hidden” service remains largely unchanged and cross-profession role in the wider collaborative working for delivering community care, monitoring practice is still not widely considered. To identify what strategy and mechanisms are required to encourage collaborative working means research and an evidence-based approach is needed to inform both biomedical and pharmacy practices to strengthen ways of evaluating the delivery of better timely care and ensuring productivity during normal and out of hours and through greater use of technology. Shahid Nazir Muhammad is a Specialist Biomedical Scientist and Senior Research Scientist Assistant at Invatech Health Ltd. setting and branching out into the clinical systematic step up the career ladder applied to improve/streamline patient patient environment. We need to continue with associated professional (IBMS) and care pathways? to promote and take the opportunities to academic qualifications, supported by Is there a community role for me as a develop advanced roles within the wider the development of scientific and clinical biomedical scientist? healthcare community. practice. On top of the “day job” I have So focus on “can do” (there are many I have a clinic seeing adult patients for been a life-long student, driven by having myths surrounding what biomedical investigation of suspected mild bleeding moved a step, then realising there was scientists “can’t do”). Be confident, know disorders. My passion is the field of another one above. Persistence, love of my your value, abilities and potential and haemostasis and thrombosis and the subject and applying this knowledge to actively seek opportunities. Be passionate opportunity arose to develop my practice benefit patient care, have culminated in about the service you provide or want to into the clinic setting. It is a privilege and a PhD and