Update from the London Healthcare Science Trainee Network meeting

The London Healthcare Science Trainee Network meeting, held in December 2016, was attended by STP trainees across all year groups, bringing together an array of healthcare specialisms.

Trainees practiced communication skills by explaining to others how their individual specialism would contribute to the diagnosis and monitoring of different case scenarios. Communication skills and media engagement sessions were given by Dr Fiona Lethbridge (Senior Press Officer, Science Media Centre) and Katrina Nevin-Ridley (Director of Communications, Genomics England). A themed session was given on the role of healthcare science in trauma pathways and talks summarising the work of individual specialisms were given by Lisa Garrison (Senior Clinical Scientist, St George’s Hospital) and current STP trainees, Louisa Ive (Genetics, St George’s Hospital), Amy Bolsworth (Vascular Sciences, Barts Health) and Sarah Blow (H&I, Hammersmith Hospital).

Later in the day trainees also took part in a valuable shared ethics training workshop given by Dr Kimberly Gilmour (Clinical Lead for Immunology, Great Ormond Street Hospital). The session was interactive and covered topics such as consent, confidentiality, respect and the guidelines we must all adhere to as healthcare scientists. Finally the London and South East Professional Development Team gave a talk about the support that is available for STP trainees during their training.