New SCBN Lead Clinician

We are delighted to welcome the appointment of Jim Allison from NHS Grampian as the new SCBN Lead Clinician! We look forward to working with Jim in his new role.

We would also like to once again thank Ian Godber for all his hard work as Lead Clinician, though we’re sure Ian will still continue to be involved with the network going forward.

To welcome Jim into the network and introduce him to all of you, we gently asked him to provide a bio to share. This is included below.

“After graduating in Biochemistry at Glasgow University, I started my clinical scientist career at the Southern General Hospital (now the QEUH) and then at the Victorian Infirmary Hospital. Working in these busy city hospital laboratories, I soon discovered how laboratory and clinical audit projects could be developed to deliver continuous quality improvement benefits to my departments and effect service change. Later, working with colleagues across the country, as a member of the Scottish ACB Audit Group, I also came to appreciate the value of audit projects at a national level in helping to increase the value of all our lab services by informing the development of national guidelines.

My appointment at as Consultant Clinical Scientist in Aberdeen in 2005 opened up other areas of interest for me including Toxicology, POCT and Laboratory Innovation. In addition I also enjoyed the opportunity of overseeing the training of the trainee Clinical Scientists within my new department. I have always considered the training and education of those involved in our profession to be absolutely essential to the continuous improvement and development of laboratory services and ultimately patient care. So, in 2008, I was delighted to take on the position of Scottish ACB Regional Tutor for Clinical Scientists. The next ten years were some of the most interesting and rewarding of my career, witnessing the development of so many talented scientists fulfilling their potential, developing successful careers across the profession and now taking up leadership roles within the SCBN.

My career as a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Aberdeen has never had a dull moment: leading two multidisciplinary Managed Service Contract exercises, serving four years as Service Clinical Director for Clinical Biochemistry and, more recently, as the Clinical Director for Grampian Laboratory Services. If I had to summarise my approach in these various roles, I suppose it could be described as trying to facilitate the balance of continuous incremental service improvement through the adoption of innovation and implementation of service transformation whilst, at the same time, ensuring the highest quality of service is maintained for our users. Importantly, being fortunate to work alongside a team of enthusiastic clinical and managerial colleagues has thankfully ensured that the rewards have mostly outweighed the challenges.

Throughout this time, I have also been an active supporter of the aims of the SCBN and, over recent years, actively participated through various roles to further the development and implementation the national network work plans. I am delighted therefore to take on this new role as the Clinical Lead for the SCBN and hope to continue, and hopefully build on, the success of our previous leaders who have served our profession and laboratory services so well.”