We Are Randox | BBC NI’s The Search features Randox colleague Dale McGall
We Are Randox | BBC NI’s The Search features Randox colleague Dale McGall
On Tuesday 23rd January 2019, a new three-part documentary series, The Search, aired on BBC Northern Ireland, featuring Randox’s very own Dale McGall.
By day, Dale is a Regulatory Compliance Officer at Randox making sure that all our products are of the highest quality and comply with all quality regulations before they are shipped all over the world to our customers.
Outside of work, however, Dale takes on a very different role when he volunteers as a Search and Rescue Technician (SarTECH) with the Community Rescue Service organisation in Northern Ireland (part of Lowland Rescue). Community Rescue Service is a team of approximately 130 people with units spread across the country on a 100% voluntary basis.
We caught up with Dale to hear all about his work as a SARTech volunteer;
Congratulations to CRS on the documentary, Dale! Can you tell us a little more about the work of Community Rescue Service and the role you play as a volunteer?
The Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR) is an umbrella organisation that enables Search and Rescue teams throughout the UK. It coordinates provision of Lowland SAR services, sets national standards for the teams and develops and shapes Lowland SAR policies.
In Northern Ireland, the team is known as the Community Rescue Service with units and personnel from all parts of the country. Presently there are units in Strabane, Coleraine, Portglenone, Broughshane, Antrim, Belfast, and South Down, amongst others.
Training is a key part of being in CRS. Before being allowed out on a Search, personnel are required to conduct training on map reading, radio communication, first aid, search techniques and water awareness. Over time, people can take part in additional training; from being part of a boat crew and use of kayaks, to water rescue and advanced first aid.
Within CRS, I am a Search and Rescue Technician (SARTech) and have completed several first aid courses.
How long have you been involved with Community Rescue Service?
I have been with CRS since 2017 when I was looking for volunteering opportunities outside of work. I saw some social media posts about the work of the Community Rescue Service and decided to get in touch.
The rest, as they say, is history!
I train weekly with the Antrim, Portglenone and Broughshane units. This training involves reinforcing existing knowledge, familiarisation training, and inviting third party organisations to give us specialist advice.
Can you describe a typical day/operation in the life of a CRS volunteer?
It may sound cliché but no two days are the same with the CRS! As well as the operational role of Search and Rescue, I have also found myself supervising street collections, marshalling for cycling clubs, and giving talks to other organisations.
What would a typical rescue involve?
Our rescues most often involve vulnerable high-risk members of society. Typically, this could be children, elderly people living with dementia, or those with mental health issues.
A call can go out at any time of the day or night and to any part of the country. I’ve been involved in searches that have lasted weeks and have had massive resources invested in them. Just as often though, I’ve had call-outs for which I’ve arrived at the meeting point and then been given the order to stand down as the missing person has been found. In either situation, our focus is locating the missing person as soon as possible and returning them to a place of safety.
It can a very busy lifestyle volunteering with CRS. While I can’t leave during working hours, as soon as I clock out from Randox I am ‘on duty’ with CRS because a call can come in at any time. Being flexible with your evenings, weekends and annual leave is a must as time is of the essence when a person goes missing.
On one occasion, I was involved in an overnight search in County Down, returning home around 09:00. A quick shower, change of clothes and I was back out to another rescue based in North Antrim. Is this compulsory? No, but as an operational SARTech, you are part of a team and there is a strong teamwork ethos where we support and help each other.
Is there anything you would like to share that you think isn’t commonly known about the CRS?
Something I wasn’t overly aware of before joining CRS is how dementia can affect people. People with dementia can regress to a period of their lives many decades ago. One search involved an elderly gentleman with dementia who had gone missing. Approximately thirty SARTechs were deployed across a wide area with a helicopter flying overhead. About an hour later, the call came to stand down as the gentleman had been found. What I found amazing about this particular search was the gentleman, who was not steady on his feet and used a zimmer frame to walk, was found roughly five miles away from his house!
As volunteers, none of us get paid but knowing you helped return a missing person to their loved ones is beyond any form of financial reward.
How does being a SarTECH volunteer compare with working in your day job at Randox?
The two roles are very different but there are a number of transferrable skills which have proved useful! The main one is attention to detail. In my role at Randox as a Regulatory Compliance Officer, I am often auditing performance and processes across the company. Not only do I review new and existing compliance legislation but I am also involved in assisting with the implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
My role as a SarTECH calls for a similar level of attention to detail. You never know where someone could be, or where there may be unknown danger for the missing person or the Search and Rescue team, so it’s important to always be on-your-guard and alert to even the smallest noise or change in environment when out on a rescue mission.
What do you hope The Search will achieve on BBC NI?
I’m hoping the series being aired will raise awareness of some of the challenges that we as a country face. The Search will help to showcase our people, capabilities and our professionalism. The Community Rescue Service is a vital service in Northern Ireland, but is 100% run by volunteers on whom the organisation very much relies.
If anyone would like to find out more information about the work I do with the Community Rescue Service, please visit https://www.communityrescue.org
You can watch The Search on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0byhv18/the-search-series-1-episode-1
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For further information please contact Randox PR by emailing randoxpr@randox.com
NHS rolls out electronic prescription in the fight against antibiotic resistance
The NHS are rolling out electronic prescribing in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
A recent article in the Telegraph newspaper reports that;
“Health chiefs have drawn up the plans amid warnings that antibiotic resistance now poses as great a threat as climate change.”
Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care UK will be informing attendees of the World Economic Forum in Davos that “we are on the cusp of a world where a simple graze could be deadly”. He has stated that it needs to be treated as a “global health emergency” and wants to cut the use of drugs across the country by 15% by setting targets.
The head of the NHS Mr Simon Stevens, said that; “much of the change would be achieved by the rollout electronic prescribing across the health service.” This would allow health officials to detect areas that are prescribing the most antibiotics so that they can try and persuade medics to cut down.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “The increase in antibiotic resistance is a threat we cannot afford to ignore.
“Government data shows that, since 2014, the UK has cut the amount of antibiotics it uses by more than 7 per cent and sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals has dropped by 40 per cent.”
The NHS antimicrobial resistance (AMR) report 2015 stated:
“The amount of antimicrobials used in food production internationally is at least the same as that in humans, and in some places is higher. For example, in the US more than 70% of antibiotics that are medically important for humans are used in animals.
“When properly used, antibiotics are essential for treating infections in animals, but excessive and inappropriate use of the drugs is a problem.
A considerable amount of antibiotics are used in healthy animals to prevent infection or speed up their growth. This is particularly the case in intensive farming, where animals are kept in confined conditions.”
In order to help the fight against AMR Randox Food Diagnostics are constantly researching and developing new ways to screen for antibiotics across wine, honey, meat, seafood, dairy, feed and cereals.
Randox Food Diagnostics have developed Biochip Array Technology a multiplexing platform which allows the screening of up to 54 food/feed samples for a large range of antibiotics in under 3 hours on the Randox Evidence Investigator analyser.
To find out more information on how Biochip Array Technology works visit our website at: www.randoxfood.com
Or contact us directly at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com
Obesity and Kidney Disease: What is the Connection?
30th January 2019
Obesity and Kidney Disease: What is the Connection?
The month of January has forever been the month of resolutions with many choosing to ditch the sweets and join the gym. However, for many these efforts are limited to January and bad habits are quick to remerge. Obesity has been a burden on the health service for many years with the problem, like many people’s waist lines, only continuing to expand.
Recent findings have shown that this problem is no longer just increasing in developed countries but also in developing countries. In fact, worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 million adults were classed as overweight, of which over 650 million were obese.1 These are shocking statistics for a condition that is preventable. As a global concern, it is important to assess all the potential risks of this problem.
The most common diseases associated with obesity are cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. However, the associated risks are much greater than this. Being overweight may also increase the risk of certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease and kidney disease.2
Obesity is now recognised as a potent risk factor for the development of renal disease.3 Excess weight has a direct impact on the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Globally, the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease rose by 39.5% between 2005 and 2015, coinciding with the increased CKD prevalence.4 In obese individuals, the kidneys have to work harder, filtering more blood than normal to meet the metabolic demands of increased body weight, increasing the risk of kidney disease.
The traditional diagnostic test for renal impairment is creatinine. This test is carried out through the measurement of creatinine levels in the blood to assess the kidneys ability to clear creatinine from the body. This is called the creatinine clearance rate which helps to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is the rate of blood flow through the kidneys.5
Problems arise when using creatinine for CKD testing as a number of factors need to be taken into consideration including age, gender, ethnicity and muscle mass. For this reason, black men and women exhibit higher creatinine levels than white men and women, raising concern over the accuracy of this test for certain patient groups.6 In addition, serum creatinine is not an adequate screening test for renal impairment in the elderly due to their decreased muscle mass.7
The main disadvantage of using creatinine to screen for renal impairment is that up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine levels become detectable as creatinine is insensitive to small changes in GFR. Consequently, treatment is not provided at the appropriate time which can be fatal, therefore, an earlier and more sensitive marker for renal function is vital.8
These disadvantages have not only been highlighted in research but also by the national institute for health and care excellence (NICE). NICE updated the classification of CKD in 2004 to include the albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR). They split chronic kidney disease patients into categories based on GFR and ACR. Figure 1 highlights the different categories and risk of adverse outcomes. NICE recommend using eGFR Cystatin C for people in the CKD G3aA1 and higher.9
Figure 1 Classification of Chronic Kidney Disease using GFR and ACR categories.9
Despite these suggestions, Creatinine is still being used for G3a1 and increasing risk levels.
The utility of cystatin C as a diagnostic biomarker for kidney disease has been documented to show superiority of traditional CKD tests. There is no ‘blind area’ making it very sensitive to small changes in GFR and capable of detecting early reductions. Furthermore, this marker is less influenced by diet or muscle mass and has proven to be a beneficial test in patients who are overweight.8
A number of studies support the statement: ‘Cystatin C levels are higher in overweight and obese patients’. This is important because when cystatin c levels are too high, it may suggest that the kidneys are not functioning properly. One study conducted, using a nationally representative sample of participants, found that overweight and obesity maintained a strong association with elevated serum cystatin C. This suggests that weight can affect the levels of cystatin C and therefore the likelihood of developing kidney disease.10
How Randox can Help
The Randox automated Latex Enhanced Immunoturbidimetric Cystatin C tests offers an improved method for assessing CKD risk, combined with a convenient format for routine clinical use, for the early assessment of at risk patients. Randox is currently one of the only diagnostic manufacturers who offer an automated biochemistry test for Cystatin C measurement, worldwide.
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References
- World Health Organization. Obesity and Overweight . int. [Online] WHO. [Cited: January 22, 2019.] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.
- Health Risks of Being Overweight. NIDDK. [Online] National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. [Cited: March 24, 2019.] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/health-risks-overweight.
- Kidney Health Australia . Obesity and Chronic Kidney Disease: The Hidden Impact. Kidney Health Week/ World Kidney Day 2017. [Online] Kidney Health Australia. [Cited: January 22, 2019.] https://kidney.org.au/cms_uploads/docs/kidney-health-australia-report-obesity-and-chronic-kidney-disease–the-hidden-impact_06.03.17.pdf.
- Neuen, Brendon Lange, et al. Chronic kidney disease and the global NCDs agenda. s.l. : BMJ Global Health, 2017
- Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance Blood Tests. WebMD. [Online] WebMD. [Cited: January 22, 2019.] https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/creatinine-and-creatinine-clearance-blood-tests#1.
- Lascano, Martin E and Poggio, Emilio D. Kidney Function Assessment by Creatinine-Based Estimation Equations. Cleveland Clinic. [Online] August 2010. [Cited: 16 May 2018.] http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/nephrology/kidneyfunction/.
- Swedko, Peter J, et al. Serum Creatinine Is an Inadequate Screening Test for Renal Failure in Elderly Patients. Research Gate. [Online] February 2003. [Cited: 6 May 2018.] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8243393_Serum_Creatinine_Is_an_Inadequate_ Screening_Test_for_Renal_Failure_in_Elderly_Patients.
- Mishra, Umashankar. New technique developed to detect chronic kidney disease. Business Line. [Online] 07 May 2018. [Cited: 17 May 2018.] https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/new-technique-to-detect-chronic-kidney-disease/article23803316.ece.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chronic kidney disease in adults: assessment and management: 1 Recommendations. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. [Online] January 2015. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg182/chapter/1- recommendations#classification-of-chronic-kidney-disease-2.
- Overweight and Obesity and Elevated Serum Cystatin C Levels in US Adults . Muntner, Paul, et al. 4, s.l. : NCBI, 2008, Vol. 121.
UK Research and Innovation CEO Sir Mark Walport visits Randox
From cybersecurity and immersive technologies to restoration Shakespeare, new diagnostic tools and aerospace, Northern Ireland is home to world class research and innovation.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is celebrating excellence in Northern Ireland by showcasing some of the leading work taking place in the country ahead of an engagement event in the Ormeau Baths on the evening of Tuesday 29th January 2019.
Ahead of the event, UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport paid a visit to the Randox Science Park in Antrim, to learn more about the innovative diagnostic technologies we develop for hospitals, clinical, research and molecular labs, food testing, forensic toxicology, veterinary labs and life sciences.
UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport said:
“Research and innovation excellence in Northern Ireland plays an important role in the UK’s success on the world stage. Its universities, innovation networks and leading businesses are an integral part of the UK’s research landscape. With UKRI support, they are pushing boundaries in areas such as healthcare, digital technologies and aerospace.”
The visit by Sir Walport follows our announcement in December 2018 that UKRI had awarded Randox a grant of £700,000 as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) to further develop our state-of-the-art ‘freeze-drying’ technology. This enables the components of vital diagnostic kits to be manufactured, stored and transported more effectively, producing better and speedier diagnoses.
Earlier in the year we also announced a £50 million investment in three new research and development Centres of Excellence for clinical diagnostics.
The UKRI reception at Ormeau Baths, which is now home to a Digital Catapult Centre, supporting the innovation community in the heart of Belfast, will celebrate Randox research projects such as the Centres of Excellence, as well as those of other companies in Northern Ireland, including a £13 million collaboration to boost the flourishing creative sector, part of the £80m UK-wide Creative Cluster programme. Current UKRI investment in Northern Ireland includes more than £78 million invested in active research projects.
The event celebrates the diverse research and innovation excellence in Northern Ireland and is an opportunity to discuss future ambitions.
It will be hosted by Professor Walport, with speakers including David Sterling, Head of the Civil Service of Northern Ireland; Professor Paddy Nixon, Vice-Chancellor and President of Ulster University; and Professor Máire O’Neill, Institute of Electronics, Communications & Information Technology at Queen’s University Belfast, and follows Sir Mark Walport’s visit to Randox Laboratories and also Bombardier, the world’s leading manufacturer of both planes and trains.
We were delighted to host Sir Mark Walport at the Randox Science Park and are looking forward to celebrating the success of Northern Ireland research and development at the UK Research and Innovation event this evening.
For further information please contact Randox PR by phoning 028 9442 2413 or emailing randoxpr@randox.com
Randox Alzheimer’s Array on the Evidence Investigator
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is defined as an irreversible, progressive brain disorder, in which parts of the brain are damaged over time. As this happens symptoms develop, but also get worse.
Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered that in Alzheimer’s disease the connections between the cells and brain tissue are lost because proteins build up and form abnormal structures called “plaques” and “tangles”. 1 A healthy brain contains important chemicals which send signals between the cells, however, those who suffer with Alzheimer’s have less “chemical messengers.” Therefore, the signals don’t get passed on. 1
Risk factors
Age is the biggest risk factor. Alzheimer’s disease is more common amongst older adults. In the UK there are over 40,000 people under the age of 65 who suffer with some form of dementia. 2 Studies also state that women over the age of 65 are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than men – although there is no clear evidence as to why.
There are two different types of Alzheimer’s. The early on-set variant of the condition is very uncommon but strikes people younger than 65. Often people with early-onset Alzheimer’s develop symptoms in their 40s or 50s. Whereas, late-onset Alzheimers is more common and affects people age 65 and older. 2
Symptoms
The disease slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. The earliest symptoms are memory lapses where they may struggle to remember recent events or learn new information, or even forget important items for day-to-day life for example, their keys, glasses or mobile phone. Memory loss due to the disease can increasingly interfere with their life as often the ability to carry out simple tasks can become a struggle. As a result, the person suffering can become anxious, irritable and can even be depressed.
In the later stages of Alzheimer’s, the symptoms become more severe. The individual will become less aware of what’s happening around them. They may have difficulties eating, walking and will require additional help and support with their daily activities from their loved ones or from a carer.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, although, there is treatment that can help manage the symptoms.
The Randox Apolipoprotein E4 Array
Randox offers The Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) Array.
The Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) Array is a research use-only product developed for the Evidence Investigator, which is a semi-automated benchtop immunoassay analyser which can process up to 2376 test per hour as well as up to 44 analytes screened per biochip.
The ApoE4 Array measures both total ApoE protein levels and ApoE4 protein levels directly from plasma samples and by using a ratio it can classify patients as negative or positive for ApoE4. In turn we can then assess their risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
For further information about the Randox Alzheimer’s Array or our Evidence Investigator, please email info@randoxbiosciences.com
- https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/alzheimers-disease-symptoms
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease
Randox Toxicology: Global drug use trends going into 2019
In the turn of the new year, we look at the current trends in drug abuse in 3 key continents and what their key 2018 figures say about drug use in their countries.
The Americas
New psychoactive substances have been an emerging drug market in the Americas, with a total of 130 different new psychoactive substances being reported in seven South American countries in August 2017. This was more than a 50% increase within the year, as over 60 different substances had been reported in 2016 alone, according to the OAS and CICAD Report on Drug Use in The Americas 2019. Latin America have experienced a surge in LSD, synthetic cannabinoid, plant substance and ketamine use among the general population as well.
Meanwhile, opioids and prescription opioids have been a major cause for concern in the Americas, with opioid analgesics involved in more overdose fatalities than any type of illicit drug, exceeding cocaine and heroin-related fatalities in Canada and USA combined. Users are increasingly turning to street opioids as well, which are often mixed with heroin and other drugs. The major challenge noted in the same report is the complexity of the appearance of NPS and the counterfeit substances it contains.
Europe
Cannabis has had the highest use among males, with most cases being regular patterns of use. Around 1% of European adults are considered daily users according to the European Drug Report 2018. Regarding opioids, heroin is the most common drug of abuse in this category, and prevalence of high risk opioid use among adults is estimated to be at 0.4% of the EU population.
Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are growing in use in Europe. In 2016, over 18 European countries reported more than 10% of all opioid clients entering specialised services suffering from opioid addiction other than heroin.
Asia
Opioids present the largest drug problem in Asia, having the highest proportion of causes of drug users going to treatment centres, followed by amphetamine-type stimulants and cannabis. Production of drug substances in Asia have been significant in the last 3 years, with cocaine and opium production hitting record highs. Methamphetamine is also an emerging threat to Asia, with production of the synthetic drug overtaking heroin.
Our testing solution
Randox Toxicology are first to market when it comes to testing for the latest drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances in the market. Our revolutionary Biochip Array Technology provides state-of-the-art drug detection, utilizing simultaneous drug detection from a single sample across multiple matrices.
Our ELISA kits provide a comprehensive test menu, covering a broad range of drugs of abuse, stimulants, analgesics and sedatives. Randox Toxicology develop the highest quality 96-well microtitre plates available to the market, with results providing excellent correlation with confirmatory methods.
To find out more email us at: info@randoxtoxicology.com or visit our website: www.randoxtoxicology.com
Getting tested for Genetic Haemochromatosis
“When I reached my mid-fifties, a suffered a lot of fatigue and general body weakness. I worried that I had inherited genetic hemochromatosis from my mum. Randox Health gave me peace of mind that my symptoms were not down to an inherited condition, but dietary issues which were easily corrected.”
Hereditary haemochromatosis, which was discussed this morning on BBC Radio 4, causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you eat. The BBC News report today said that Exeter University has found the condition could affect up to 20 times more people than earlier figures suggested.
It was believed to seriously affect about one in 100 carriers. But the new research has suggested the true level could be closer to one in 10 among female carriers, and one in five for men. This would make the genetic condition the UK’s most common genetic disorder.
Lead researcher Prof David Melzer commented;
“We’ve shown that hereditary haemochromatosis is actually a much more common and stealth disease, including in older people.”
Excess iron within those suffering from genetic heamochromatosis is stored in the organs, especially the liver, heart and pancreas. Too much iron can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.
Prof Melzer said haemochromatosis was easy to treat if caught early enough, but was “difficult to spot,” with the main reason being that diagnosis is quite often made at a stage when much of the damage from the condition has already been done.
It is clear therefore that early diagnosis is key in successful management of genetic haemochromatosis.
If you are found to have excess levels of iron as a result of genetic haemochromatosis, treatment is relatively simple and consists of venesection (bloodletting.) The body makes more blood to replace that taken, and therefore uses up the excess stored iron.
Randox Health offers a specialised test for detecting genetic hemochromatosis so if you’re worried about developing symptoms, or already think you have developed symptoms – including fatigue, joint disease, skin problems, and sexual health issues – get in touch today.
Early diagnosis and treatment of GH can seriously improve the outcome for individuals with the condition, by preventing any further organ damage. Randox Health not only offers a test to screen for the genetic mutations most commonly associated with GH, we can also check at the same time for damage to other parts of the body as a result of high iron levels (e.g. diabetes, liver damage and heart damage).
Furthermore, if you do have GH, your close family members should also be screened for the condition.
Get in touch today to book your appointment. Phone 0800 2545 130 or email info@randoxhealth.com
We Are Randox | Armagh GAA forward Stefan Campbell
One of our favourite things about our We Are Randox series of staff interviews is the opportunity we are given to find out about the unique and interesting talents of our colleagues.
From creative bakers to melodious musicians, motivated Girl Guide leaders to athletic sportspeople, many of our staff are just as busy outside of the office as they are in it.
Take Tender Coordinator Stefan Campbell for instance. By day Stefan spends time identifying potential business for the company – conducting local and global searches, collating technical specifications and compiling financial information – but in the evenings and weekends he’s impressively one of the forwards for the Armagh Senior Footballers, a Gaelic Football team that competes at an all-Ireland level.
We caught up with Stefan to find out about his intense training regime, his goals for the future of his GAA career, and of course his advice for the newly-formed Randox GAA team!
Here’s Stefan’s story.
I suppose Gaelic Football has always run through the different generations of my family so it was only natural that I began playing at a young age. My brother John played for our local club Clan Na Gael, so after having played for St. Pauls Lurgan, I then moved to Clan Na Gael where he played. I’ve now been a member there for 16 years.
Our County Club, Armagh, then won their first All-Ireland Championship in 2002, with a team that included two players from Clan Na Gael, and so I was inspired to try out for my county myself. The rest as they say, is history.
I’m currently in my 7th season with the Armagh Senior Footballers, after having played for the U18 and U21 squads. My position is usually full forward, alongside two other team mates, however I do often rotate amongst the total line-up of 6 forwards.
Obviously being a forward I am expected to score in each game, and to give you an idea of figures I have had two games in the last week in which I scored 8 points against Antrim and 3 points against Monaghan. I therefore have to make sure to refine my skills in terms of scoring, passing, and timing of the tackle, but there is also quite a lot of emphasis on just simply working hard and putting in the effort to train, as it is an incredibly physical game. Typically, a county team trains 4 nights a week with 2 sessions being in the gym and 2 on the field, at the Callanbridge facility in Armagh.
I’ve played in the opening 3 games of The Dr McKenna Cup (a Gaelic Football competition between counties and universities in Ulster) thus far, and need to make sure I keep up my training so that I remain in the team for the upcoming matches. There is a lot of pressure coming from other very talented squad members, looking for their opportunity to impress, so I have to be on top form.
In the short-term, we have The Dr McKenna Cup Final against Tyrone this Saturday (in which I’m obviously hoping for a win!) and in the longer term I’m really hoping I can win an Armagh Championship with Clan Na Gael. I would also love to secure an Ulster Championship win with Armagh, which is a title I’m still searching for, even though I won the Railway Cup in 2017 playing for Ulster.
The Railway Cup is an annual tournament steeped in history, as it dates back as far as 1927. There is such a large pool of players to choose from when forming an Ulster team, so I know my family was very proud when I was selected, and even more so when we went on to defeat Connaught in the final. I loved the opportunity to play alongside teammates I’m usually competing against.
Another highlight of my GAA career was when I played Gaelic Football in New York, over the course of two summers. Although GAA is an Irish organisation, Gaelic Football is played all over the world in countries such as Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and the USA, albeit at a lower level than it is played back home. Local players are poached and asked if they would be interested in playing for a particular team in the summer, while they set you up with a job and accommodation. In 2015 I was asked to play for Kerry New York and in 2017 for Westmeath New York, and I found the temptation to spend 3 months abroad, basically free of charge, too good to turn down.
For the record though, GAA is an amateur organisation and therefore as players we don’t get paid to do what we do. Don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, like the unique opportunity to play live on Sky or on the BBC, but ultimately, we play for the love of the sport, while representing our families and communities. It’s this passion that drives me each week to train consistently and improve my skills, even after a day’s work at the Randox office. I do often have long days during which I leave work, go straight to training, and arrive home at about 10.45pm, but it’s something I’m used to and prepare for accordingly. I will say though that it’s extremely difficult to get out of bed on Mondays having played a game the previous day!
As luck will have it, joining Randox means that I now have the opportunity to bring my two careers together, as the company has recently established its own GAA team, which recently competed in the FinTru Ulster Inter-Firms Competition. I don’t see any reason, that with a bit of luck, and the experience we now have from last year, why we can’t get bigger and better and reach this year’s final.
My advice would be to get the squad together as often as our other commitments will allow, to give us more time to polish up our skills, but also, importantly, to become more familiar with our teammates from other departments. I have often found that the most successful teams are not always the most talented, but those with a tighter bond – as they understand their fellow players, can anticipate their game play, and are willing to work that bit harder for one another.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For further information please contact Randox PR by emailing randoxpr@randox.com
Raising awareness of sexual health on National STIQ Day
National STIQ Day
National STIQ day was introduced in 2010 and every year since then the 14th of January has been dedicated to raising awareness for STIQ. The purpose is to emphasize the importance of sexual health and to encourage everyone to get regular health checks.
Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) are infections passed from one person to another through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex, or genital contact.
Lack of symptoms
More and more people in the UK are catching STIs and each year the infection rate is rising. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 million STIs are acquired every day and the majority of these STIs have no symptoms.1 Therefore you could have an STI and not be aware. 70% of women and 50% of men show no symptoms after contracting Chlamydia which is the most common STI condition in the UK.2
Even though the majority of the time symptoms of STIs aren’t visible, there can be signs of having an STI, including unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus, pain when peeing, lumps or skin growth around the genitals, a rash, unusual bleeding, itchiness or blisters around the genitals.3
What to do when you catch an STI
Anyone can catch an STI regardless of what age you are, your sexuality or how many sexual partners you have, as it only takes one sexual encounter to put you at the risk of catching an STI. A shocking fact from Public Health England shows that a case of chlamydia or gonorrhea is diagnosed in a young person every 4 minutes in England, and over 144,000 diagnoses of these sexually transmitted infections are seen in people aged 15 to 24 in 2017. 4
It is extremely important to get routinely tested. The earlier the diagnosis is made and treated the less chance of having long-term effects including infertility.
Randox Biosciences 10-plex STI test
Randox Biosciences would like to take the opportunity to support STIQ day by offering our CE marked 10-plex STI test, a cost-effective solution for accurate STI testing. This test detects the following 10 infections simultaneously from a single patient urine sample.
- Neisseria gonorrhoea (NG)
- Mycoplasma genitalium (MG)
- Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU)
- Chlamydia trachomatis (CT)
- Trichomonas vaginalis (TV)
- Haemophilus ducreyi (HD)
- Mycoplasma hominis (MH)
- Treponema pallidum (TP)
- Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)
- Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2)
Does your laboratory or clinic carry out STI testing? Our molecular analyser, the Bosch Vivalytic, powered by our award winning Biochip Array Technology, could be the diagnostic solution.
For more information about our STI Arrays or Vivalytic email: info@randoxbiosciences.com
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
- http://www.national-awareness-days.com/stiq-day/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/an-sti-is-diagnosed-in-a-young-person-every-4-minutes-in-england
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis/
We Are Randox | Staff Newsletter 2018 Edition
Staff Newsletter 2018 Edition
We are delighted to be able to share with you the bumper 2018 edition of our We Are Randox staff newsletter!
Click here for a range of company and staff news from the past year – including the world’s greatest steeplechase The Randox Health Grand National, Randox Teoranta’s Open Day in Donegal and, of course, our annual Christmas Raffle and Santa Visit– at which we raised an impressive £3,380, taking our fundraising total to £8,846.98 from July to December 2018!
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