Bayer in the UK sponsors an annual user's meeting, with the goal of creating an informal atmosphere for its customers to learn, share ideas, and just catch up with old friends
Customer focus is an important element of day-to-day business for Bayer Molecular in UK/Ireland.
Not only do customers want dependable products to meet their daily needs, but they are increasingly looking to companies as partners that they can work with to enhance the overall service and knowledge of the testing methods they provide.
As part of this, Bayer in the UK sponsors an annual user's meeting, with the goal of creating an informal atmosphere for its customers to learn, share ideas, and just catch up with old friends.
Year-on-year the meeting continues to grow in popularity.
This year approximately 65 people participated in the day, representing the leading virology labs in the UK and Ireland.
The meeting was chaired once again by Siobhan O'Shea of St Thomas's Hospital, who co-ordinated much of the agenda and stimulated discussion on the topics.
Representatives from virology labs using Bayer HIV and hepatitis monitoring assays gathered within the comfortable surrounds of the Tate Britain in London.
"The message, that this Bayer Molecular meeting is a significant annual event, is now well established.
"With a 30% attendance increase on last year, we now have virtually all key virology labs in the UK participating in the day," says Maree Williams, product manager of Bayer Molecular.
The aim of the user group meeting is to bring customers together to discuss the latest advances in their field as well as their personal use of Bayer products.
This meeting saw leading names in hepatitis such as Prof Will Irving, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, and William Tong, Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital, London deliver key presentations. Prof Irving gave a provocative talk on the most effective ways to use diagnostics to monitor hepatitis C infection, his approach somewhat in contrast to current established guidelines.
Dr Tong discussed the relevance of hepatitis B genotyping, and area that is now just emerging in clinical importance.
Current issues in HIV drug resistance was discussed by Patricia Cane, Birmingham. The afternoon continued with various labs providing short presentations and discussions around CE Marking, quality assurance schemes, and Bayer's latest HBV 3.0 (bDNA) assay. This year the inaugural meeting of the Advia Centaur infectious diseases user group took place as a subgroup within the main body of the meeting.
Peter Nutter (St Marys) as chairperson and Richard Kirton (John Radcliffe) as secretary were elected as the group's officers.
An electronic e-forum was designed in order that users could share information more easily in the future.
Several other recommendations were made by the group to address the needs of Advia Centaur users.
With the scientific element of the day concluded, attendees were able to tour the Tate Britain's Turner Collection in private after hours tours.
