Malcolm Robinson, a scientist from Worthing, has received two awards at the Advancing Healthcare Awards, recognising his commitment to charitable work with severely ill children.
Now in their 12th year, the Advancing Healthcare Awards (AHA) were held on 20th April at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London. Organised by Chamberlain Dunn, these awards aim to recognise and reward projects and professionals that lead innovative healthcare practice and make a real difference to patients’ lives.
Malcolm is a chief biomedical scientist at Western Sussex NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust and is a member of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). He received a standing ovation for winning the Biomedical Scientist of the Year award, sponsored by Health Services Laboratories, as well as the Overall Winner award.
Malcolm is best known for his charity work, having begun the charity Harvey’s Gang, a children’s charity focussed on showing critically ill children in the hospital what happens to their blood sample when it reaches the laboratory.
In 2013, the Haematology and Blood Transfusion Laboratory at Worthing Hospital, part of Western Sussex NHS Trust, (WSHT) was contacted about showing a little boy, named Harvey, around the department who was curious to see where his blood went when it was tested. This simple request became the start of what has become an international PBM initiative to increase the involvement and knowledge of patients and their families in the laboratory aspects of their transfusion treatment.
Sadly, Harvey lost his battle with leukaemia in October 2014. After receiving numerous requests from other critically ill children to visit the laboratory like Harvey had, Malcolm decided to launch Harvey’s Gang in memory of Harvey.
Malcolm’s charity has now gained national attention and is present in more than 30 hospitals in the UK. Malcolm is pictured with Lynda Rigby, Executive Head of Marketing and Membership at the IBMS, which has agreed a £5000 sponsorship deal to support the lab coats for Harvey’s Gang children.
IBMS President, Alison Geddis, said: “I am delighted for Malcolm to be recognised for his hard work. His dedication and commitment to biomedical science and his charity work is outstanding.”
http://harveysgang.com/harveys-story/
http://www.ahpandhsawards.co.uk/
