Featuring Stago on the front cover, the September issue of Pathology in Practice can now be read online.
From the Editor: Here’s the weather
Welcome to the September issue of Pathology in Practice, and as I write in very late August, the first rain in a few weeks is falling on the parched Chiltern hills nearby. It feels very much like the end of summer, with storms on the way just ahead of the long Bank Holiday weekend. Is there a storm coming in the pathology workforce? The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) has recently produced a report highlighting serious issues in the forensic pathology workforce, drawing attention to unfilled vacancies, a significant proportion of those currently in position nearing retirement, and limited training opportunities. These factors are made worse by the UK’s mixed model of service delivery. The result is a service which the report says is “fragmented, disjointed and inconsistent in its standards and delivery”. A service that is relied upon by the criminal justice system as well as bereaved families.
The issues go beyond forensic pathology of course. Searching the term ‘workforce’ on the news section of our website provides a plethora of stories and reports calling for change, for better planning, for more standardised operations.
This summer alone RCPath and Roche produced Making every test count, a report which marked the end of a year-long collaboration, showing how diagnostics can enable the effective delivery of the three shifts outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan, which called for – among other things – all Pathology Networks to achieve full digital scanning and reporting by 2029.
We also saw the publication of Pathology Transformation Review 2026, commissioned by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) which highlights the need to recognise pathology as a core clinical service requiring sustained investment, proactive workforce planning and better use of its professional expertise.
What will enable this change? Will the current changes afoot in the NHS, clustering Integrated Care Boards together, lead to economies of scale and more standardisation of operations?
The appetite for change is present. The leadership of bodies such as RCPath and IBMS – and others – is vital, as is the work of those within the NHS leading the way; for example the Leeds-based National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) and the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) pathology initiative. Through the pages of this magazine we will continue to shine a light on best practice and the latest advances. Let’s hope that Government and NHS leaders will find a way to see this change through
How’s the weather where you are?
Andy Myall
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