Biomedical Science Day - meet Allana Dickson

As a child, Allana Dickson thought about a career as a teacher, or a lawyer – even a pilot.

She eventually settled on medicine, until deciding half-way through her A-levels that she didn’t want a role with so much patient contact.

Now, as part of a team of biomedical scientists working at East Kent Hospitals, she has a vital role to play in patient care - but she never meets any of them in person.

Allana works in the haematology and blood transfusion department, helping to analyse blood samples and to make sure people who need transfusions receive compatible blood that will help heal them rather than cause harm.

She said: “When we get the alert to say there is a major haemorrhage, I know that I am just as responsible as any nurse or doctor for making sure the patient who needs that blood is alive and well at the end of the transfusion.

“It is really humbling to know there is a patient’s life at stake and I am playing a part in their care – even though I won’t ever see them.

“I thought working in a lab would be boring but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I get to make a difference every single day and what could be better than that?”

Most people have heard of the four main blood groups – A, B, AB and O – but your blood also contains antibodies or proteins that can trigger an immune system response if it is given to someone without those in their blood. This means extra checks are needed to make sure donated blood is safe for a patient to receive.

Allana said: “Part of my role is to make the process as safe as possible, and check the patient’s blood against the donated blood to make sure it is compatible.

“You need to know the science behind it and it is when I feel most like a scientist, because I am on the bench working, getting hands-on with the samples to do the tests, and using my knowledge to make decisions that directly affect patient care.

“If we get it wrong it could be fatal so it is crucially important.”

Allana and the team also play a key role in the care of patients across east Kent, by analysing their blood samples for information about their health.

She said: “We are the first people to know when someone has leukaemia or a blood clotting disorder, and it is us who flag that to their doctor.

“I am a really important part of someone’s care, and what I do can help make them better, but it’s all done anonymously.

“About 80 per cent of all diagnoses made by a doctor are made with the help of biomedical scientists, so we really do impact on a lot of people’s treatment.”

Allana studied biomedical science at the University of Kent and decided on her NHS role as a career after hearing a talk by a fellow student who completed a placement with the Trust.

She said: “It sounded like the perfect job and I applied to do my placement year here and was successful, which was fantastic.

“I loved the science of medicine; learning about the body and disease, so biomedical science was the perfect choice for me but I hadn’t heard of it as a career until I started my degree course.

“It can be challenging juggling the workload but it is rewarding to know I am making a difference and I’m lucky enough to work with colleagues I consider friends.”