Students take part in hospital laboratory tour to mark National Pathology Week
Posted on 8th November 2024
Andrea Johnson, cellular pathology and microbiology manager at Wye Valley NHS Trust with a group of Hereford Sixth Form College students attending the Lab tour at Hereford County Hospital.
A group of Hereford Sixth Form College students, who are studying Biology, Chemistry and other subjects, as they prepare to move on to possible careers in healthcare and biomedical science, went behind the scenes at Hereford County Hospital laboratory to understand the work of the biomedical scientists who process and validate patient samples and manage the testing facilities needed to provide high quality healthcare to patients.
National Pathology Week (4 to 10 November) is an annual celebration of pathology to highlight the important contribution pathologists make to healthcare. 70 per cent of diagnoses in the NHS are based on pathology results provided by laboratory services. Wye Valley NHS Trust hosted a week of activities to celebrate National Pathology Week, including a school visit, lab tours and educational sessions.
Andrea Johnson, cellular pathology and microbiology manager at Wye Valley NHS Trust, who hosted the visits, said: “This has been a great opportunity to spend time with the young patients and students helping to increase their awareness and understanding of pathology, and spark their interest in science as a future career. It can also help children and younger people who need to have a test, such as for a blood or urine sample, if they understand where the sample goes to be tested, and how and why it is tested.
“From blood tests, treatment advice through to devising new treatments to fight viruses, infections and diseases, pathologists are at the heart of patient care and diagnosis.”
Careers Advisor Dr. Phil Evans said “This is a great opportunity for our students to gain a real understanding of some of the remarkable technology that is used in a medical laboratory and of how biomedical science underpins modern healthcare.”
Read more on National Pathology week here.