Science for Celebration

The 20th Annual Schools Science Conference was held on 19th April 2023 at University of Westminster

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Welcome to
Science for Celebration

The theme of the 20th Schools Science Conference is Science for Celebration

It feels apt that the 20-year anniversary for this wonderful event is a celebration because this year has seen a number of clinical landmarks worthy of celebration.

We have seen the return to normality (or nearly!) following the global pandemic and the success of the vaccination programme that has permitted this.

This year has seen the rollout in the UK of the first population-wide newborn screening program using DNA, which has already saved babies’ lives. Plus the first gene therapy given for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, the expansion of artificial intelligence into clinical diagnostics, and an agreement to try two new drugs to combat antibiotic resistant microbes.

We invite you to use your imagination about how scientists might make further vital breakthroughs in healthcare over the next few years.

Healthcare scientists are a diverse and specialised community within the NHS, using their knowledge and expertise to develop, design, and deliver patient care.
They carry out over 1 billion diagnostic and scientific investigations and interventions every year. During the pandemic we have had to regenerate old equipment that was gathering dust in various store rooms and even in museums to use to look after patients with COVID-19.
We have had to re-purpose some drugs to help those with most severe symptoms.
The NHS spent an awful lot of money also buying new equipment to carry out COVID-19 testing and now some of that equipment is being regenerated for other diagnostic work across the NHS.
There are over 56,000 people that make up the healthcare science workforce in England.
Healthcare scientists work in over 150 service areas across pathology and laboratory science, physiological sciences, data science, bioinformatics, medical physics and clinical engineering.
The healthcare science workforce who deliver these services are a unique and specialised workforce.
Healthcare scientists are fundamental to clinical decision making and ensuring patients receive timely, high quality, cutting-edge care.
If you’ve received a diagnosis in the past few years, there’s a very good chance that a Healthcare Scientist contributed to it in some way.
That’s because approximately 80% of all diagnoses in the UK are reached with a contribution from Healthcare Scientists and many therapeutic and rehabilitation interventions also rely on our work.