Published:
This week we were delighted to welcome to Heriot-Watt University, Mary Morgan, Director of Strategy, Performance & Service Transformation in NHS Scotland.
Mary has long established links with Heriot-Watt University's department of Business Management, where she is a current member of the Industry Advisory Panel. Mary has worked closely with Dr Christine Rutherford, Head of Department in a Knowledge Transfer Project investigating carbon footprint in the blood supply chain.
Within her role as Director of Strategy, Mary covers the National Blood Transfusion Service across Scotland and with a staff of 900 people ensures that hospitals and medical centres have the correct stock of blood products in the correct locations at the optimum times. Blood is a highly perishable product which dictates that the supply chain is agile and easily measured in order to ensure effectives.
Students at the event were given a detailed explanation of the NHS strategy and supply chain activities which go into making this service efficient. Mary shared the many research projects being undertaken and emphasised the importance of accurate data and research in managing the whole process. Being able to reassure all hospitals across Scotland that their blood supplies were prepared and ready for phenomena like the 'Beast from the East' in the winter of 2018 is just one example of how an efficient supply chain adds value in this essential product category.
Following the formal lecture, students took the opportunity to chat to Mary about her work and discuss their research ideas for their dissertations.
“Students learnt about a brilliant example of academic research undertaken here at Heriot-Watt used in an efficient commercial context; and this I believe will be the key takeaway for all our students who attended”.