Dr. Robin Ireland (UK)

Dr. Ireland is a Consultant Haematologist at King’s College Hospital. He has been the Lead Clinician for the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Centre (HMDC) since March 2007. The HMDC provides an integrated diagnostic and reporting service for haematological cancers, supported by a custom-built IT system. King’s HMDC has been a regional centre for diagnostic services for over 20 years, providing Immunophenotyping, Cytogenetic and Molecular Diagnostic services to haematologists from 16 hospitals in Southeast England, covering a population of approximately 4.5 million. There has been a steady rise in referrals (now over 12,000 referrals and 18,000 samples per year) to the King’s laboratories, from clinicians who require increasingly sophisticated and accurate haematological investigations for diagnosis, prognosis and disease monitoring. The Flow Cytometry laboratory now processes over 3500 samples/year for Immunophenotyping, the Cytogenetics/FISH laboratory is one of the largest in the UK with 10 cytogeneticists analysing over 3500 samples/year by conventional cytogenetics and FISH techniques and the Molecular Service tests over 4000 samples/year. The department has a strong research base with particular interests in the Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and Myeloma. Dr Ireland is an examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists and Co-Chair of the national Integrated Haematopathology Directors Forum as well as being a member if the haematology section of the National Cancer Intelligence Network. Previously he was a consultant Haematologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital between 1989 to 2007 and during this period he held various prominent positions including Director of Pathology 1993-1999, Medical Director between 1999 to 2004, Trust Lead Cancer Clinician 2005-2007, Honorary Senior Lecturer/Consultant, Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Trust 1990-2007. In these roles he has implemented major projects in aspects of clinical, laboratory and managerial services for the NHS.