Hello again and welcome to the October issue of the Bulletin. Sadly, this is the last time I shall be writing to you as President of the College as I step down in mid-November to be replaced by Dr Bernie Croal. But more about that later.

Improving pathology technology

Once again, there has been a huge amount happening since the last issue; 2 significant pieces of work have started in which the College is heavily involved. We have been asked to partner NHS England (NHSE) to look at the extent and use of technology in all areas of pathology. Although this work is being led by NHSE, we will be drawing on the experience of the devolved nations and feeding this back. In effect, this is a stocktake of where we are with technology in pathology in the UK. It will cover all aspects of technology that affect our work, including laboratory information management systems (LIMS), automation, automated testing and digital reporting.

We will set a baseline for how the UK compares with other countries and assess how technology varies across regions and devolved nations. The work will cover realistic opportunities available to make improvements and what resources we would need. This is a huge but exciting project supported by NHSE. It will help us to map the way forward for all pathology specialties and provide a focal point for our advocacy work to obtain the resources we need to deliver the services that this technology will help us provide.

Transforming histopathology

NHSE’s ‘Transforming Histopathology in England’ plan launched in July. We are taking soundings from members and we are working closely with our colleagues at the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). While we are supportive of the opportunity to develop and improve our histopathology services in England, we have significant reservations. These are around some of the anticipated outcomes and the availability of resources, funding and the support needed to achieve the aims laid out in the plan. This work continues and the College is strongly advocating for the needs of our members, your departments and, ultimately, our patients.

Supporting services in Northern Ireland

Our involvement in the redesign of pathology services in Northern Ireland – the blueprint programme – continues. I have attended and spoken at various blueprint events, and liaised with colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure the needs of our members and patients are best supported by any proposed changes. The College has also been involved in advising the UK government on amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and how these do not address the needs of our colleagues in Northern Ireland.

Update on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Diagnostics

Our All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Diagnostics facilitated 2 evidence gathering sessions on Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs). This topic was chosen as they are currently receiving a huge amount of political attention and because they have implications for pathology and diagnostic provision.

At the first session, attendees heard from Professor Mike Richards, Dr Rhydian Phillips, Dr Clive Vandervelde and me about CDC locations, workforce capacity, digital infrastructure and progress on targets.

The second session brought together colleagues who have experience of setting up and running CDCs with a focus on regional case studies and the successes and challenges encountered. This session also looked at strategies for the future of the CDC programme, covering topics such as ensuring CDCs are in locations of need, patient experience, increasing equitable access and improving patient pathways. There were some clear outcomes from the meetings.

Although the CDC programme is progressing well, workforce and digital infrastructure still remain 2 of the biggest challenges. We will be publishing a report covering findings from both sessions in the autumn. This will be presented to the Secretary of State for Health and Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay MP, and we will advocate for the solutions to be implemented.

Preparing for the general election

With the general election due to take place next year, we are continuing to raise our concerns with ministers and shadow ministers and are identifying areas where we can influence the manifestos of the main parties. We will establish key priority areas for the College and produce a document of key asks detailing what we want from the new government.

We want pathology to be at the heart of the new government’s plans for the future and will be advocating strongly to achieve this. Our areas of focus include those we have already highlighted and which are seen in the NHS workforce plan – train, retain and reform, AI and its implications, IT and infrastructure, genomics, and diagnostics.

We will finesse our asks over the next few months and will also suggest possible solutions for the new government. Once the new ministers are in post, developing relationships with key figures will be important. However, we have already developed relationships with key political figures across all parties and are well prepared for whatever the new government looks like.

The importance of workforce data

As I have often highlighted in these editorials, good data is key to the success of the College’s ongoing advocacy work. With the upcoming election and the possible changes that may ensue, the need for high-quality data will only increase if we are to be in a position to champion the needs of our members.

The College’s workforce intelligence project represents the first time we have undertaken a complete survey of all pathology specialties at the same time. The first phase of the project is finished, with all surveys completed and data analysed. The next phase of drafting and publishing the workforce report is now underway, with publication scheduled for February 2024. The report draws from 3 data sources and will include key findings, next steps and recommendations.

We are committed to ensuring the true impact of this work goes beyond the recommendations listed and we will translate these into a detailed action plan. We will be doing all we can at every level in the College to ensure the recommendations in this report are realised. Looking ahead, we plan to collect this data annually. We will streamline the process for collecting data and consider how to use existing data sources in future reports.

We would like to thank all those who completed one of our surveys. Our ability to effectively advocate for resources will be vital over the coming years. Your data will be a powerful tool in advancing the interests of our profession and in making a meaningful difference.

Save the date for International Pathology Day

Wednesday 8 November is International Pathology Day. This is always one of the highlights of the year for the College so please save the date and join us for our hybrid conference. You can join us in person at the College or virtually to celebrate the occasion. The theme will look at the impact of climate change on disease and what can be done to tackle the challenges brought about by it.

Keynote speaker Professor Virginia Murray, Head of Global Disaster Risk Reduction, UK Health Security Agency, will open the conference in conversation with me. We will welcome experts in their field to deliver eye-opening talks and participate in the conference’s signature roundtable discussion on planetary health. The poster competition makes a welcome return and you can visit our website for more information and to secure your place.

Celebrating the people behind the Pathology Portal

The Pathology Portal is a huge asset to the College and its success is owed to the team of people who work behind the scenes. A Pathology Portal appreciation event was held as a formal lunch at the College on 12 September 2023. It was a thank you and tribute to the outstanding work of the editors and contributors (those who have provided learning resources) in the development and maintenance of the Pathology Portal. There are now nearly 5,000 resources across different specialties with over 70,000 launches by users. The editors' and contributors’ hard work, dedication and expertise has made the Portal a valuable resource for those looking to develop their knowledge in our specialties and has also helped develop the functionality of the learning platform for all those in healthcare.

Professor Angharad Davies, Vice President for Learning, congratulated the College’s Pathology Portal team, NHSE’s Technology Enhanced Learning team and all the many contributors on their fantastic work. Professor Jo Martin, Lead for the Pathology Portal, and Dr Esther Youd, Clinical Director for Digital Pathology Education, said the event also provided an opportunity for the team to network and celebrate the milestones that have been successfully achieved in the first year since the launch of the Pathology Portal. Our congratulations and thanks go to all those involved in the portal project.

Reflecting on the last 3 years

As I mentioned at the start of this editorial, this is the last one I will write for the Bulletin. On 16 November I demit as president. In the 3 years of my presidency, we have had 3 prime ministers, 5 health secretaries, countless health ministers, a pandemic and the death of the monarch, our patron. There has been political and industrial unrest, particularly in healthcare, but throughout this time the College has worked very hard to represent you and advocate for your needs.

The most common question I have been asked during my tenure is “What does the College do for me?” The answer is a lot – but much of it goes unnoticed. For example, in the last 3 years we have, among many other things, advised on the Wales workforce strategy, the Northern Ireland cancer strategy and the Northern Ireland Blueprint for new pathology services. We have advised the Scottish government on the role of pathology in maximising patient flow and have published guidance on genetic testing in childhood.

We have been central to the development of the antimicrobial resistance national action plan and advised on standards for infection services. We have been involved in 159 NICE consultations directly relating to pathology, set up a Memorandum of Understanding with the Care Quality Commission to safeguard wellbeing and patient safety, and published dozens of internationally recognised guidelines.

A major achievement was developing an online examination platform in an incredibly short timescale. The Learning Directorate did a fantastic job of minimising the effect of the pandemic on training and career progression as much as possible, working closely with the Trainees’ Advisory Committee. My thanks also to trainees who were tolerant and highly adaptable as we responded to an unprecedented situation.

One of the most important achievements for me was the 'Your College, Your Profession' tour. We travelled around the UK, met you and listened to your concerns. We are now using the information you gave us to better serve your needs, wherever you are and whatever specialty you are involved in.

My time as president has been fantastic. It’s impossible to say what was the best bit, but meeting an okapi in London Zoo, being attacked by peacocks in Wales and getting locked in a castle in Devon were certainly memorable. I would like to thank all the fantastic staff at the College, all the honorary officers for their help and advice, and everyone who has been involved in and worked so hard for the College and its members. But most of all I would like to thank you all for continuing to support your College. Without this continued support the College cannot function, and we will lose the voice of our profession.

All that is left for me to say is good luck to Bernie.

Thank you and goodbye.