The French Society SFBC (FR)
Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB) (UK)
Association of Clinical Biochemists in Ireland (ACBI) (IE)
The Netherlands Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (NL)
Swedish Society for Clinical Chemistry (SFKK) (SE)
Swiss Society of Clinical Chemistry (SSCC) (CH)

The French Society SFBC (FR)

Lab Tests Online now available in French

EDMA, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association is proud to announce that Lab Tests Online, the non-commercial multilingual information portal on laboratory testing, is now available in French.The launch of the French website took place on Friday 6 November, at the 54th JIB-International Biology Days in Paris. Initially developed by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) in the US, Lab Tests Online is a global project with websites in U.K. and Australia as well. EDMA coordinates the project of localising Lab Tests Online in continental Europe. The peer-reviewed, patient-centred, and non-commercial website is already available in Italian, Czech, German, Spanish, Greek, Hungarian, and Polish.

The General Secretary of French Society of Clinical Biology and Laboratory Medicine (SFBC), Jean-Pierre Bali, on behalf Alain Legrand, SFBC President, thanked all of those who attended the event, in particular his counterparts from the US and other European countries who had effectively implemented the website in the past, as well as his colleagues (Mariam Klouche (DE), Stephen Halloran (UK), Alexander Halliassos (GR), Véronique Ducros, Damien Gruson and Bernard Gouget (FR)) on the French Lab Tests Online Committee.

He also welcomed representatives of the French High Health Authority and the State Health Insurance Office, who provided encouragement in the progress and promotion of the website.Lab Tests Online meets both a public need, and the highest quality standards on health information. Both values also appreciated by the European Commission, which has approved the inclusion of the European Lab Tests Online websites on the EU-Health Portal.

Lab Tests Online offers clear and easy to understand information to citizens and physicians about the diverse and advantageous contributions of laboratory medicine to health protection and care. Therefore users can inform themselves about the tests they have been prescribed, the conditions usually related to the assays and how the success of the treatment is evaluated.

To get a better understanding of the project, please visit the website, where you can access all the national sites.

Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB) (UK)

Old Eye Hospital Send Off For Janet

The ACB officers have recently the meeting of Janet Smith’s colleagues, past and present, in the old Eye Hospital in Birmingham. Indeed, this photo is believed to have been taken on the exact spot where the old laboratory was until it moved to Dudley Road in the 1980s.

Janet recently retired from University Hospitals Birmingham. During her career Janet worked tirelessly for the ACB, including being Chair of the Association, plus her huge efforts to take the Education Committee forward. Janet had a number of research interests and was particularly interested in improving the use of HbA1c in diabetic monitoring.

Association of Clinical Biochemists in Ireland (ACBI) (IE)

Report on IEQAS (Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme)

The Annual Conference of the Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS) was held on Thursday October 1st in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Dublin. Approximately 130 delegates attended the meeting, for which we have received very positive feedback regarding both content and facilities.The IQEAS Chairman, Dr Ned Barrett welcomed the delegates before handing over to Mr Mari McDonald.

Head of Workforce Planning and professional education, HSE who gave the opening address entitled “The Modernisation of Laboratory Medicine Services in Ireland: safeguarding quality during times of service reconfiguration”. Ms Patricia Howley, Operations Manager of IEQAS, then presented a review of the scheme’s performance over the last 12 months.

The theme for the remaining plenary sessions was Point of Care testing (POCT) from a number of aspects: comparison of EQA between primary and secondary care (Ms Annette Thomas, WEQAS); new guidelines for primary care to published shortly (Dr Judith Martin, IMB); a pilot study on pharmacy-based lipid screening (Ms Aisling Reast, Irish Pharmacy Union); and finally a survey on hospital-based POCT (Ms Ruth O’Kelly).

The first presentation in the Clinical Chemistry workshop was from Dr Ned Barrett regarding preparations for implementing dual reporting (IFCC/DCCT) of HbAlc in Ireland on 1st July 2010. Dr Mark Lynch from Altnagelvin Tyrone Country and Erne Hospital then spoke about the Northern Ireland Regional Audit Group in Clinical Chemistry.

Ms Hazel Graham, IEQAS Quality Manager, reported the findings of two fresh serum surveys which were carried out by IEQAS.Meanwhile at the parallel Hematology workshop, Dr Kanthi Perera, Midland regional Hospital Tullamore, reviewed the Blood Cell Morphology slides distributed by IEQAS this year. Mr Gerry Judge from AMNCH presented a review of this year’s Labquality Blood Transfusion schemes.Both workshops ended with peer-presented case studies: this aspect was new for the IEQAS programme and was very well received.

In Memoriam: Miss CP (Connie) Glennon, BSc, MSc, MICI

Connie Glennon was born in Ballinasloe Co Galway. She attended university during the War years – a high thinking, low living student in Dominican Hall, St Stephen’s Green just around the corner from lectures in Earlsfort Terrace. She qualified BSc (Hons) 1945 in Chemistry with Maths.
Connie moved straight into an MSc under Professor E J Conway (of Diffusion apparatus fame) on the Permeability of Cell Membranes to Electrolytes. That experience shaped her professionally, in the power of Mathematics and scrupulous analytical technique.
She stayed on in the department for two and half years working for the Medical Research Council.In July 1949 she took the post of Biochemist at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, under Prof Maurice Hickey, State Pathologist. There was no automated equipment. She worked with Mary Leydon when Dr Belle Farrell worked in a separate lab for the Professor of Medicine, Tim Counihan. In 1956, she moved to Belfast to the Mater Infirmorum Hospital and took charge of biochemistry there. She dropped her family pet name (Stanza… from Constantia) and became Connie.

She joined the fledgling (UK) Association of Clinical Biochemists in 1957 and attended summer courses in Clinical Chemistry at Glasgow University and in Birmingham. Connie was a keen and strong golfer. Several times a week she took the bus from work up to Fort William Golf Club to play 18 holes or as long as light allowed. Four years after joining, the club made her Handicap Secretary. When she died their flag flew at half mast.

In 1965 twenty years after her first degree, Connie was promoted to Senior grade. The lab now took in biochemistry, haematology and blood transfusion. Her remit covered day to day lab activity, quality of results and training for all non-medical staff. She insisted that students develop and demonstrate good analytical technique. Jim Mulvenna, John Madden, Brian Cairns and Tim Wyatt saw her with respect first, then later with admiration and affection. She inspired her niece to take up Science. In Belfast in the 1970s and 1980s she made good friends and good conversation without gossip or politics. Margaret Telford, Selby Nesbitt, Mike Smye and Elly Duly remember her example.She retired quietly in 1988. Fourteen years later in 2002, she moved to Sandycove (Dublin) to live with her sister.In her last decades she gave away her golf clubs but joined three separate bridge clubs where she was a respected, winning player. Connie was a lady without fuss. She took delight in a simple card from biochemists North and South sent to honour 50 years’ membership of the ACB; enjoyed music in the National Concert Hall which she had experienced as the Exam Hall of UCD; tried out the Luas tram and took tea in the Shelbourne Hotel.

She died on September 24 2009. She was a pioneer, a dedicated worker during troubled times, and a true lady. RIP.

The Netherlands Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (NL)

Noyons’ medal for Dr. Wim Huisman

At the General Meeting of November is the last Noyons Medal 2009 awarded to Dr. Wim Huisman. This medal, named after the founder of the NVKC, Dr EC Noyons, is intended particularly for those who have rendered the association. Huisman receive the medal for his relentless efforts to care and quality awareness high on the national and international agendas, and also get to see translated into concrete actions.

Swedish Society for Clinical Chemistry (SFKK) (SE)

The light! Now, there is typically well that the days getting longer again. All Christmas is long since eaten and pat are already old dear friends. The worst cold clasps for a long time is over, time passes quickly and soon it is spring. Best of all is that so much is going good and fun in Clinical Chemistry in the future.

Travel Grants! Now spends SFKK back on travel scholarships for its members. It is important to come out and talk about their projects. It is important to get out and listen and learn from others. That is how we evolve and develop. Read more in separate ad later in the paper.

ST-training! This happens a lot right now. We have a new national ST studies, and we have a new mission statement according to new principles. Now it’s time to tie up the bag and see what courses we offer and how we do follow-up with knowledge. Sign up for our ST-training session on 4 March in Stockholm. Read more under the “Current sessions”.

Spring meeting! Dates, programs and location ensures that the fjord this year’s success in Kalmar to be repeated. Stockholm is nice at the end of April and the program is filled with substances which Karolinska has a prominent place in development and research. There is only one thing to do – sign up

XXXII Nordic Congress in Medical Biochemistry! Dates, programs and location also ensures a lovely Nordic meeting. Oslo is nice in early June when the days are the longest and it’s rocking outside on the terraces. Add to this an exciting program with both international and Swedish contributions. There is only one thing to do – sign up

IFCC calibration of HbA1c! Jan-Olof Jeppsson and Gunnar Nordin, two champions in the effort to create an international collaboration of HbA1c may soon a fantastic dividend by the imminent introduction of a single global joint calibration of HbA1c. A huge success for Clinical Chemistry. In September we go over. In short you can read the recommendations from SFKK on how to do this. 2010 will be an eventful year for our specialty.

Have a nice winter, once it is spring!

Swiss Society of Clinical Chemistry (SSCC) (CH)

The list of members of the different scientific working groups as well as the description of their goals has been recently updated.

Website	Member	E-Mail-Address
Formation and FAMH Commission	Dr. Jean-Luc Magnin	magninjl@hopcantfr.ch
Molecular Diagnostics	Prof Dr. Beat Thöny	beat.thony@kispi.uzh.ch
Medicaments	PD Dr. Katharina Rentsch	katharina.rentsch@usz.ch
Post Analytics	Dr. Brigitte Walz	brigitte.walz@ksl.ch
Internal Quality Control	Dr. Reto Savoca	reto.savoca@kssh.ch
Fähigkeitsausweis Praxislabor (FAPL)	PD Dr. Lorenz Risch Dr. Olivier Boulat	lorenzrisch@hotmail.com olivier.boulat@chuv.hospvd.ch
Pipette	Prof. Dr. Andreas Huber	andreas.huber@ksa.ch
Swiss Group for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (SGIEM)	Prof. Dr Brian Fowler	brian.fowler@ukbb.ch
DRG	PD Dr. Heike Freidank	freidankh@uhbs.ch
Mass Spectrometry	Dr. Pierre-Alain Binz	pierre-alain.binz@isb-sib.ch

The Mass Spectrometry (MS) working group is organising courses in mass spectrometry to share knowledge on the possibilities and use of the technology in Laboratory Medicine.The goals are to inform about the analyses processed in Switzerland that use Mass Spectrometry as analytical tool; a growing list of laboratories is made available on the website of the SSCC; and to keep contact and exchange experience with similar activities in other countries.