We speak to Clare Berry, who this year joined Awanui Labs as Head of Department of the Haematology team in Canterbury, after a career in some of the UK’s busiest hospital labs.
After arriving from the UK, Clare was a scientist with Health New Zealand based in Tokoroa, before moving to Christchurch and joining Awanui at the end of March 2025.
What did your career involve before you joined Awanui?
“I am from the North-East of England, and was born in Sunderland, although most of my career was around Greater Manchester starting out as a scientist at Tameside General Hospital and Royal Oldham Hospital. I did spend a couple of years in Liverpool, doing anti-coagulation visits to homes and high-rise apartments for around one hundred patients each day, which was fast and furious work.
“I have always been in Haematology, being in charge of morphology and coagulation at Salford Royal Hospital, and section manager for quality across three sites there as well.”
What are the biggest differences between working in the lab in the UK and New Zealand?
“The volume of work. The labs in the UK, especially hospitals like Salford, operate 24/7 and we could do up to 6000 full blood counts a day compared to around 1500 in Christchurch.
“Salford is a trauma centre, so along with Haematology, we did blood transfusions for emergencies, victims of violent crime, and even for injured police and ambulance staff. You would have to pull away from Haematology to deal with a trauma and the work would back up. It was an extremely high workload. You could still be working until 3am just to get through the day’s GP samples but then the hospital never sleeps.
How are you finding being at Awanui?
“I am on a learning curve here at Awanui, and just because you have been doing the same discipline for 20 years that doesn’t mean you can hit the ground running on day one. Each organisation does things their own way, different computer systems, analysers and often individual interpretations of guidelines. It’s all part of the learning.
“Blood is blood, no matter which lab you are in, and it is how you process it. We have the best analysers and equipment at Awanui which is far superior to what I worked with back in Salford. They are much more dependable, up-to-date, and efficient.
“The number of tests in all the Manchester labs I’ve worked in put a huge strain on the machines, which were not replaced when they should be and meant they kept breaking down. Our staff were excellent engineers as well as scientists to keep the work going. This just put even more pressure on staff and workflow and reflects the levels of funding for the NHS. The quality of equipment we have at Awanui is a big improvement on what I worked with previously. It really improves turnaround times as well as quality of results.
“Living in Christchurch is much more peaceful and safer than working in Manchester. We have lovely scenery, beaches, and mountains. I am enjoying being at Awanui, I’m finding all members of staff very approachable and supportive as I find my feet. The Haematology team is small and has highly qualified, hardworking, knowledgeable, and dedicated workers. I am looking forward to my career here.”