Pathologists are essential to disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment to improve patient care. The work of pathologists supports patients throughout their entire life. Without pathologists we cannot understand what is making a patient unwell, determine a treatment and monitor their progress and we cannot tackle key national health priorities, such as the recent 5-year National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance.
The College has today launched its health priorities for the next government. In this priorities document, we look at the key challenges facing pathologists in delivering the best patient care and call on the next government to address them in all UK nations. The key areas we focus on are:
- investing in workforce for patients
- tailoring treatment for patients
- harnessing digital pathology for better patient care
- diagnosis closer to patients.
We look forward to engaging with the new government, demonstrating the importance of pathology across healthcare and the multiple ways our specialties interact and underpin patient pathways.
We are experiencing a worsening workforce crisis across pathology which requires significant and sustained investment to train and retain pathologists and scientists, and to reform the way services are delivered. Pathology is so important for prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment, and so working with government to ensure we have adequate and functional services in the future will be vital.
Dr Bernie Croal President
Download the Royal College of Pathologists' priorities for the new government
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