The College has told MPs and peers that pathology must not be seen as a ‘cost-saving opportunity and back office function’.

President Dr Suzy Lishman was speaking at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Personalised Medicine which was discussing the 100,000 Genomes Project.

Hosted in the House of Lords by co-chairs Jo Churchill MP and former health minister Lord Warner parliamentarians heard how pathologists were central to the project which is leading the world in developing new means of diagnosing and treating diseases.

Dr Lishman pointed out that whilst the College and its members hugely valued the project their work was potentially threatened by financial cuts, reorganisations and staffing issues.

‘Pathology, which is key to the success of this project, cannot meet the challenge when it's seen as a cost-saving opportunity and back office function’, Dr Lishman said.

The president was referring to last week’s NHS Improvement letter sent to all Trust chairs and chief executives which set out urgent plans to reduce budget deficits partly through ‘back-office and pathology consolidation’.

The College has released a statement in response to the letter and has urgently requested talks with NHSI.

Responding to Dr Lishman at the All Party Parliamentary Group Genomics England’s Chief Scientist Professor Mark Caulfield said the College and its members had been ‘outstanding’ in helping deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project and that he fully supported proper investment in the service.

Providing a briefing before the meeting the chair of the College’s Genetics and Reproductive Specialty Advisory Committee Angela Douglas: ‘What we are struggling with is trying to deliver all of this research with very limited resources, the additional demand this is putting on both our genetic and pathology services is beyond the expected demand of the services, which is already a challenge, with very little additional funding to underpin delivery.’