Developing future scientists at NHS Blood and Transplant

Overview

NHS Blood and Transplant provides the blood donation service for England and the organ donation service for the UK. The manufacturing department at Colindale processes blood from the 26 permanent NHS Blood and Transplant donor centres into blood components that can be used to treat patients.

At Colindale, T Level students from City and Islington College gain hands-on lab experience, supporting routine tasks like blood centrifugation, data entry and sample preparation. 

Key benefits and outcomes

• T Level students support routine lab tasks, like data entry, blood centrifugation and clinical waste disposal, freeing up staff for training and development without disrupting operations.
• Mentoring has inspired staff to pursue teaching qualifications and professional growth, contributing to a more motivated and skilled workforce.
• Students gain hands-on experience and can apply for paid roles or apprenticeships, helping to fill future vacancies with trained, enthusiastic candidates.
• Welcoming young learners into the lab fosters a more age-diverse and inclusive workplace, enriching team dynamics and organisational culture.

What the organisation did

Students from the City and Islington College in London can complete an up to 45-day industry placement as an honorary healthcare technical officer. 

The onboarding process is straightforward; students are selected through interviews and complete occupational health screenings, including a Hepatitis B vaccination. Successful candidates are appointed on honorary contracts with their role being adapted from a band 2 healthcare technical officer job description.

To help the students prepare for their roles, a virtual reality experience and a laboratory tour are offered by the scientific and clinical education and training team, who work in collaboration with the laboratory. 

The aim of the industry placements is for T Level students to gain a comprehensive understanding of blood processing, including health and safety, waste management and teamwork. They are trained to handle low pressure but critical tasks essential to blood processing and storage.

To integrate into the team and get an understanding of what it means to be a member of staff, T Level students are expected to adhere to professional standards, including absence reporting and punctuality. They are welcomed into the workforce with full access to staff facilities, including staff networks. 

Results and benefits

The presence of T Level students in laboratories has been positively received by the staff. Once they have been trained in blood centrifugation, T Levels students can temporarily take over certain processes under supervision. They also help with completing batch records and the disposal of clinical work. All of which frees up staff members to attend training without disrupting daily operations.

All the students have a staff member as a mentor, and this has inspired staff to pursue development opportunities, such as completing Level 3 teaching qualifications. Supporting 16 to 19-year-old students contributes to a more age-diverse workplace, enriching the organisational culture overall.

The T Level students gain comprehensive skills in blood processing, meaning once they have completed their industry placement, they can apply for paid roles as healthcare technical officers, or they can apply for an apprenticeship to progress to become a biomedical scientist. 

Introducing the industry placements has also strengthened the partnership between the local college and the laboratory. For example, they now support each other through careers fairs, promoting vacancies and providing laboratory tours for aspiring scientists. This collaboration contributes to a pipeline of future talent and promotes the laboratory’s role in the community.

Takeaway tips

• The presence of T Level students enables staff to be released for other activities, including training sessions. The mentoring process has also inspired staff to pursue development opportunities, such as completing Level 3 teaching qualifications.
• Keep the selection and onboarding process simple – adapt a current job description and offer an honorary contract.
• Maximise the T Level students’ potential by assigning them low-pressure, low-risk activities.

For more information about this case study, email Vicky Hicks, team development manager or Sonja Long, placement manager at NHS Blood and Transplant.