LabMed is hosting the LabMed Leaders Summit as part of The IBMS Congress (22-25 September 2025).
What is the LabMed Leaders Summit?
The Leaders Summit brings together some of the UK’s most experienced healthcare scientists to explore what effective leadership looks like in today’s fast-moving and complex healthcare environment.
Whether you're a current leader or an emerging one, this Summit offers practical insights, thought-provoking sessions, and inspiration for anyone leading, or preparing to lead, within laboratory medicine.
Why attend?
Learn from national leaders about governance, innovation, digital readiness, and patient safety
Explore how AI and data are transforming leadership and decision-making in diagnostics
Understand the environmental impact of laboratory services — and how leadership can drive sustainability
Network with peers from across the UK and engage with the wider IBMS Congress community
Exclusive member benefit – LabMed members get discounted access
Who should attend?
This event is ideal for:
- Clinical and Biomedical Scientists and Medics in leadership or aspiring roles
- Pathology service managers and audit leads
- Innovation and quality leads
- EDI and sustainability champions in diagnostics
- IBMS Congress attendees seeking leadership-focused content
LabMed Members can book the event at IBMS member rates to attend both the Congress as a whole and/or the Laboratory Medicine Leaders Summit.
To get the member discount, you must use our unique discount link - https://ibmscongress25.eventreference.com/labmed.
Programme
9am
Welcome from the LabMed President
Ian Godber, LabMed President, Consultant Clinical Scientist, QEUH, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Abstract
A warm welcome to the second Laboratory Medicine Leaders’ Summit developed by the Association for Laboratory Medicine and hosted at the IBMS Congress.
The introduction to the meeting will overview the current challenges that senior laboratory staff and managers face and highlight new developments in laboratory medicine which will be covered throughout the day.
9.10am
Delivering great organisational leadership
Dennis Dunn MBE, Former Chair of Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust
9.35am
Digital readiness: responding to the unexpected
Karen Mitchell, NHS Grampian
10.30am
The missing link in the governance process
Finlay McKenzie, UK NEQAS, Birmingham
11am
Value-added EQA can check clinical appropriateness in the use of assays
Rachel Marrington, Consultant EQA Scientist & Deputy Director, Birmingham Quality (UK NEQAS)
Naomi Elkin, UK NEQAS, Glasgow
11.30am
The role of laboratory EQA in patient safety
Gwen Wark, Berkshire & Surrey Pathology Services
2pm
AI: What can we learn from its application in cancer research
Harriet Unsworth, Cancer Research UK, University of Manchester
Abstract
I’ll talk through the potential patient and system impacts of AI transformation in cancer research and cancer care – the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ll use examples from my team’s research and the broader health and care system, to describe ongoing challenges in AI transformation, including data access, NHS IT infrastructure and working in interdisciplinary teams. I’ll also describe some of the new approaches that are being developed to ensure that healthcare AI is transparent and fair for everyone.
2.30pm
Algorithmic bias and health inequity: addressing risks in medical artificial intelligence
Joseph Alderman, Clinical Research Fellow, Anaesthesia and Critical Care Doctor, University of Birmingham
Abstract
3pm
Project PathLAKE: selecting the right patients for the best therapy
David Snead, University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire
4pm
Diagnostic stewardship: a lever to lower carbon?
Rob Shorten, Consultant Clinical Scientist, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals
4.30pm
Inappropriate testing: the cost to the planet
Tim Lang, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals
Ticket prices
The prices below are at LabMed/ IBMS member rates.

Find out more by visiting the IBMS Congress website.