Our #HeartOfHealthcare Twitter competition ran during National Pathology Week 2020 - the aim was to encourage our members and supporters to share the work they do by posting photos on Twitter tagged with #HeartOfPathology. We were hoping for a range of creative and thought-provoking interpretations of this year's theme, 'Pathology: at the heart of healthcare' to help us highlight the vital role pathology plays in the healthcare system.
We were impressed by the diversity of inspiring images tweeted by our members and supporters between 2 and 8 November. Our judges, outgoing Vice-President for Communications, Dr Rachael Liebmann, and RCPath Communications Officer, Thadcha Retneswaran, enjoyed looking through them and selecting a winner.
We're delighted to announce that Sarah Gibson, Consultant Biomedical Scientist in Histopathology at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust was scored highest overall for her visually striking image and accompanying #HeartOfHealthcare tweet:
Proof that pathology really is at the #HeartOfHealthcare @RCPath National #PathologyWeek 2020 🔬❤️ pic.twitter.com/fBxr2XzS8Y
— Sarah Gibson (@mrssgibson) November 7, 2020
Sarah, who also organised the National Pathology Week activities for the Integrated Laboratory Medicine Directorate for The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, was thrilled to receive the news about her winning post.
Sarah said: 'I am delighted that my photograph was selected as the winner of the #HeartOfHealthcare competition. Although pathology services provide a significant contribution to healthcare, our work is often more ‘hidden’ when compared to that of other healthcare professions. I chose a selection of hearts which were ‘hidden’ within some of the histopathology specimens I was reporting, to raise awareness and provide the proof that pathology truly is at the heart of healthcare!'
Other thought-provoking images that were tweeted as entries during the week also received high scores from the judges for their creativity, their relevance to the 'heart of healthcare' theme and their ability to engage people with pathology - these ranged from photos of delicious-looking and beautifully-decorated 'red-cell' cupcakes to an origami paper heart model.
Many entries also captured pathology labs 'in action' and highlighted how team work contributes valuably to the pathology services we all benefit from. For example the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shared inspiring images and figures to illustrate the essential work carried out by their pathology teams:
This #PathologyWeek, we’d like to thank our amazing pathology teams who underpin every aspect of patient care.
— Mid Cheshire Hospitals (@MidCheshireNHS) November 6, 2020
Last year alone the department performed 7million+ blood tests (and then there are urine tests, swabs, biopsies, coronavirus diagnostics tests …)#HeartOfHealthcare pic.twitter.com/IM88LyXK2n
Although pathology services provide a significant contribution to healthcare, our work is often more ‘hidden’ when compared to that of other healthcare professions. I chose a selection of hearts which were ‘hidden’ within some of the histopathology specimens I was reporting, to raise awareness and provide the proof that pathology truly is at the heart of healthcare! - Sarah Gibson, winner of our #HeartOfHealthcare competition.
One of the judges, Dr Rachael Liebmann, talked about how impressed she'd been by entries. She said 'There were some truly lovely and original entries. They highlight the vital role pathology plays in healthcare in very creative and engaging ways.'
Here are a couple of the creative tweets that were shortlisted:
Here's our paper heart model for all those working in pathology for #PathologyWeek. You are the #heartofhealthcare! @RCPathhttps://t.co/SLtONKTafS pic.twitter.com/SpCIUnO5A6
— Origami Organelles (@OrigamiCells) November 3, 2020
Looks yummy and educational #PathologyWeek #HeartOfHealthcare https://t.co/KGQYmUWSgR
— Julie Fletcher (@dottyspotty101) November 2, 2020
To see a few more of the entries, and to have a look back at NPW 2020, just search #HeartOfHealthcare on Twitter. Thanks to everyone who took part in the competition and in National Pathology Week. Watch this space for news about next year's celebration, which will run from 1 to 7 November.