This has been a memorable year for so many reasons but in particular for the death of The late Queen Elizabeth II, who was also our College patron. The national outpouring of grief reflected her exemplar life as our monarch and her extraordinary contributions to the country and the wider world.
The College held its first Open Day in September 2022, marking an important landmark for our relatively new home in Alie Street. Dr Suzy Lishman’s enthralling ‘Living Autopsy’ was followed by interactive displays by consultants and trainees, both medics and scientists who captivated several young minds from school years 10–12. Many pathology subjects were covered in an engaging manner, with a rhinoceros’ skull being part of a memorable veterinary pathology display. The College’s 2021–2022 Annual Report, which will be published in November, will provide a summary of the many other lively events held during the Diamond Jubilee year.
We certainly need to look after and nurture our trainees with an inclusive teaching environment, tackling as many barriers to learning as possible.
This Bulletin issue culminates the Jubilee year with the important theme of ‘Celebrating the people and specialties of pathology’, adding further profiles and overviews showcasing our specialties. There are notable individuals and articles within the relatively wide fields of virology, haematology and transfusion, but there is also recognition of less well-known fields such as forensic veterinary pathology.
We certainly need to look after and nurture our trainees with an inclusive teaching environment, tackling as many barriers to learning as possible. You will no doubt find the article on neurodiversity and specific learning difficulties highly informative, highlighting the need to recognise these conditions in training and the workplace (p 712).
We also need to support our educators. A timely meeting of Training Programme Directors in the East of England shared best practice and explored further training opportunities across pathology specialties (p 738).
It is gratifying to see initiatives aimed at engaging medical undergraduates in pathology research (p 715). There are tips and advice for others interested in creating a supportive research environment for students and helping them to develop technical skills, critical thinking and problem-solving, together with communication skills and team working.
We have many interesting articles in our Working Smarter section. Drs Taze and Griffin led a College survey that demonstrated variation in histopathological reporting of temporal artery biopsies for giant cell arteritis with potential for a standardised reporting protocol (p 719). Professor Claire Verrill and colleagues demonstrate the benefits of using digital pathology to enhance histopathology–surgery–radiology case-based reviews following radical prostatectomy with many shared learning opportunities (p 722).
Digital morphology further offers an opportunity to harness artificial intelligence (AI)-based recognition. Marlene Correia and co-authors discuss the potential for application in feto-maternal haemorrhage estimation to support the prevention of RhD haemolytic disease in fetus and newborns (p 728).
As the use of digital pathology and AI become more embedded within the infrastructure across services, members of the College’s Lay Advisory Group provide a timely reminder of ethical implications and the need to ensure meaningful engagement of patients and the public (p 718).
During the College’s Diamond Jubilee we have tried to stay true to our pledge, through the Bulletin and other activities, to celebrate the pathology specialties and the people who represent the breadth of our remarkable workforce.
A new national programme for genetic testing and cardiological screening after sudden death highlights a key step forward towards prevention of further fatalities among families (p 724). Emma McCargow describes an innovative programme by Genomics England towards personalised healthcare utilising multimodal data in cancer diagnosis and research (p 727).
Returning to the theme of people, we describe initiatives linked to eminent pathologists including Dr Elizabeth Stokes’ legacy and donations in microbiology (p 734), the William Tong prize in virology (p 732) and the Dacie–Wilkinson lecture as a collaboration between the College and the British Society for Haematology (p 739).
During the College’s Diamond Jubilee we have tried to stay true to our pledge, through the Bulletin and other activities, to celebrate the pathology specialties and the people who represent the breadth of our remarkable workforce. We have certainly showcased the collective efforts needed for the delivery of pathology services to support patient care, with due attention given to research and innovation together with education and training, helping ensure the legacy for future generations.
Author(s)
