IFCC Henry Wishinsky Award for Distinguished International Service
Sponsor: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Inc
Presented to: Dr. David Burnett, OBE, BSc, PhD, FRCPath
The International Federation of Clinical
Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) is pleased and honoured to
announce that Dr. David Burnett, OBE, PhD, FRCPath has been
selected to receive the 2008 Wishinsky Award For Distinguished
International Service. This award honours an individual who has
made unique contributions to the promotion and understanding of
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine throughout the world.
Dr. Burnett has been very active in many areas and in particular in
the development and promulgation of laboratory accreditation which
has had the impact of improving the quality of services and how
they should be delivered to patients across the World with the
development of International Standards arising from this activity.
David Burnett was educated at a Quaker School in Saffron Walden,
Essex (1949-1956) and obtained an honours degree in Botany with
Zoology and Chemistry (1956) from University College, London. In
1964, he received a PhD from Bedford College, London. A post
doctorate appointment followed at Rothamsted Experimental Station,
Harpenden. He was then appointed a Senior Biochemist at Hill End
Hospital, St Albans. During the initial period at Hill End Hospital
and during the early years in Hertfordshire he built up a
biochemical service that initially embraced the District General
Hospitals at Welwyn Garden City and St Albans and later expanded to
include hospitals at Hertford and Hemel Hempstead. In 1968 Dr.
Burnett was appointed Principal Biochemist and shortly afterwards
Consultant Clinical Biochemist to North West and East Hertfordshire
NHS. Early in his career, Dr. Burnett developed an active interest
in the assessment of the quality standards in clinical
laboratories. In a collaboration with the four major clinical
laboratory professional societies in the UK, he played a major part
in the development of in a voluntary accreditation scheme for
laboratories in 1992. The resultant scheme, known as the Clinical
Pathology Accreditation (CPA) UK, was rapidly adopted as the de
facto standard forclinical laboratories in the UK, which continues
to be a leading organisation in clinical laboratory accreditation.
With his knowledge of the need for the development of system based
standards for accreditation and the infrastructure to support a
National accreditation scheme, Dr. Burnett subsequently assisted in
the development and implementation of regional and national schemes
in other countries. Progression of the international aspects of
standardisation through international organisations was a natural
development and Dr. Burnett was and is heavily engaged in the work
of ISO/TC212 .
Dr Burnett has (1) served as Chairman of the CPA Standards,
Training and Education Group; (2) helped draft and promulgate
international standards with the British Standards Institute; (3)
served as a member of the European Communities Confederation of
Clinical Chemistry (EC4) Working Party on Quality Systems and
Accreditation, and (4) represented the Federation of European
Societies of Clinical Chemistry & EC4 in the European
Co-operation for Accreditation. He also has been involved with
development and implementation of ISO standards 15189 (Medical
Laboratories-Particular Requirements for Quality and Competence)
and its supplement ISO 22870 (Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)-
Requirements for Quality and Competence).
His key role in developing the quality of laboratory practice in
the United Kingdom was recognised by the award by the Queen of the
prestigious honour of an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for
services to Laboratory Medicine.