Alastair Patience was appointed permanent Head of Function for Physical Sciences on 1 August 2022, following 8 months undertaking the role on a temporary basis. Formerly Operations Manager in Fingerprints at Forensic Services, Alastair has more than 25 years’ experience working in Forensic Science, both in England and Scotland, covering public and private sectors.

Alastair has held a number of operational and multi-site leadership roles in Forensic Science since joining Strathclyde Police Forensic Science Laboratory in 1992. Prior to joining Forensic Services as Operations Manager in January 2020, Alastair worked in Continuous Improvement roles within Aerospace and Higher Education, further developing his passion for improvement.