National Award for NHS Grampian Clinical Scientist

A clinical scientist, based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and specialising in infection prevention and control, has received a prestigious national award.

 

Dr Ijeoma Okoliegbe picked up the ‘Quality in Action’ award at the 2025 Chief Scientific Officer’s Awards. Her role, which combines infection prevention and control expertise with an interest in the healthcare built environment is the first of its kind in Scotland. Her win recognised the significant impact she has had in this field since her appointment last year. 

 

Ijeoma said: As a healthcare scientist, I am passionate about using data to inform quality improvement having undertaken several QI projects as well as published some of these in peer reviewed journals. This award highlights the support I have received from the infection prevention and control team and demonstrates the amount of work which has led to such achievement.” 

 

Ijeoma joined NHS Grampian in 2019 following her doctoral training in Microbiology with the University of Aberdeen. In 2020, she responded to the challenges the department faced during the pandemic. She contributed to the introduction of new assays for SARS-CoV-2 testing in NHS Grampian’s virology lab. Her work was essential in the implementation of point of care respiratory virus testing at the front door assessment units. This was particularly important during winter pressure, where it helped managing patient flow, downstream patient placement, facilitating early discharge, antimicrobial stewardship and initiating treatment in the high-risk patient group. Her work in this field has been published in several peer-review journals. She was appointed to her current specialist role in 2024.

 

Dr Noha El Sakka, consultant in medical microbiology and lead infection prevention and control doctor, added: “We are all absolutely delighted with Ijeoma’s very well-deserved win. She was up against some very tough competition; her victory highlights the quality and importance of the work healthcare scientists are doing in Grampian.”