Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to all members but there will be some items that might not be relevant for certain categories of member.

1. Applications for Membership

All individuals wishing to apply for membership of the Association must complete an online registration form and agree to abide by the rules of the Association (as per the Articles, Bye-Laws and Code of Professional Conduct).

Applications for membership can be made under one of the following categories; Member or Student.

Applications are invited from healthcare professionals with an interest in Laboratory Medicine are eligible for Membership, for example; Clinical / Biomedical Scientist, Senior Lecturer, Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Research Technician, Clinical Virologist etc.

Full details of all the membership categories and current subscription rates are detailed on the Association website at: https://www.labmed.org.uk/join-us/healthcare-professionals.html

All membership applications will be submitted to Council for approval.

Members of the Association who undertake a career break or become temporarily retired, may on application, become Temporary Retired Members. Such Members shall confirm at the beginning of each subscription year that they are not in employment. They shall not be eligible for membership of Council.

2. Subscriptions

Members shall pay an annual subscription to the Association and for each subsequent year of membership.

Membership fees are an annual commitment irrespective of the payment method or schedule. In the event of termination of membership the full annual subscription fee must be paid.

New memberships commence from the date of approval with renewal due on that date every year thereafter.

In January 2023 the five subscription bands within Ordinary & Overseas Ordinary membership were replaced by the full Member subscription fee and discounted Member subscription fee.
The discounted fee applies during the first 5 consecutive years of membership. Members with an Ordinary band 1 membership at 31 December 2022 are eligible for the discounted fee for 5 years, starting from when they are next due to renew after 1 January 2023. For all other existing subscriptions the 5 year discounted period commences from the date of first joining.  Members of the Association of Clinical Biochemists in Ireland (ACBI) are also entitled to the discounted subscription for the duration they are members of both Associations.

The discount is only available to the same individual once, therefore if a member were to resign and rejoin at a later date, the discounted fee would not apply.

3. Termination of Membership

A member may terminate their subscription by giving notice in writing (email to [email protected] is sufficient) to the Association at least 30 days prior to their next renewal date.

Membership may be terminated by:

- The Company Secretary (or any Officer acting in that capacity), if a member is in arrears with any subscription fee (or part thereof) 3 months after the due date. The member will remain liable to pay the Association all subscriptions fees due for the current year.

or

- A Resolution of Council, if a member fails to observe any applicable rule of the Association (including the Code of Professional Conducts of the Association), or injures or brings into disrepute the Association or the profession of Laboratory Medicine. Such a Resolution must be passed by Council, with a two-thirds majority of votes cast and the member must have been given the opportunity to defend their conduct.

4. Members’ Obligations to the Association

Members in all categories are obliged to comply with the Code of Professional Conduct set by the Association and by all bodies with which they are registered e.g. the Health and Care Professions Council, the General Medical Council.

Members in all categories are expected to conform to the highest ethical and professional standards in their work, their public life, their relations with the Association and their fellow members.

Members in all categories must not act to injure the Association or its reputation, nor must they give the impression that they are acting, writing or speaking for the Association, unless they are authorised to do so.

THE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

OF

THE ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY MEDICINE

1     The Code of Conduct applies to all individual members of the Association for Laboratory Medicine, including Emeritus, Honorary, Fellow, Member, Federation, Retired, Temporarily Retired and Student.

2     All members having submitted an application and agreed to the conditions associated with the application form, agree to abide by the constitution and Bye-laws of the Association as currently in place and amended from time to time.

3     All members agree that by being appropriately qualified and practising in the UK they are obliged to comply with the Code of Conduct established by their appropriate registration body; the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the General Medical Council (GMC) or other body, where a registration body exists for that health professional.

4     Members agree to comply with the Code of Conduct of their employer.

5     Members agree that they have a duty to:

   a     Exercise their professional skills and judgement to the best of their ability and discharge their professional responsibilities with the highest standards of competence and integrity

   b     Conduct themselves honourably in the practice of their profession

   c     Maintain good standards of laboratory and clinical practice

   d     Keep their knowledge and skills up to date and shall keep evidence of their continuing professional development to such standards as are required for audit

   e     Keep up to date with statutory Codes of Practice which affect their work

   f      Keep as confidential any information obtained during the course of their professional practice

   g     Respect patients’ trust and not abuse their professional position to establish improper relationships with patients, to put pressure on patients to give or lend money or other benefits, to directly or indirectly recommend treatments or investigations which are not in their interests, withhold appropriate investigations, treatments or referrals or put pressure on patients to accept private investigations or treatment

   h     Report concerns to employers or registration bodies where they believe that a doctor’s or other colleague’s health, conduct or performance is a threat to a patient

   i      Treat colleagues fairly and not make any patient doubt a colleague’s ability, knowledge or skills by making unnecessary or inappropriate comments about them

   j      Work constructively within a team, respecting colleagues and communicating and co-operating with other health professionals and all others caring for patients

   k     Ensure that where work is delegated, colleagues are of suitable experience and competence to perform the tasks delegated to them and ensure that they are armed with sufficient information to provide a good standard of service

   l      Further the interests and objectives of the Association for Laboratory Medicine but agree not to give the impression that they are acting or speaking for the Association unless they are authorised to do so

   m    Conduct all research with honesty and integrity, following all aspects of research protocol, only accepting payments approved by a research ethics committee, recording results truthfully and maintaining adequate records. Members agree to only make justified claims for authorship and to report evidence of fraud or misconduct in research to an appropriate person or authority.

6     Members agree that they will maintain professional standards at all times, keeping up to date with amendments to this Code of Conduct, the Associations Bye-laws and the Guidance/Regulations of their registration body.

7     This Code is not exhaustive and members acknowledge that they will always be prepared to explain and justify their actions and decisions to the Association or their registration body if so required.