- Published:
- 20 January 2025
- Author:
- Professor Angharad Davies
- Read time:
- 4 Mins
A very Happy New Year to all our readers.
It’s always natural to look to the future in January – and there is nothing more important than investing in the health of the next generation. One of the most concerning findings of Lord Darzi’s rapid review of the NHS, published last year, was that children’s health in the UK has deteriorated over the past 15 years. So, the Bulletin starts 2025 with a focus on challenges and advances in paediatric practice within our specialties, an area that doesn’t always receive the attention it deserves. We have 7 theme feature articles from a wide range of specialties and I’m delighted that we carry a guest editorial from the office of the Children’s Commissioner for England, for whom child health is a priority area. Working to optimise the services we offer to children makes a great new year’s resolution that should be taken very seriously.
As I write this, ransomware and prevention of cyberattacks are headline news again. Last year’s Synnovis cyber-attack impacted laboratory information management systems and left pathologists unable to provide key services. The College’s Pathology Informatics Committee, chaired by Dr Karen Mitchell, has developed learning points from this incident, in consultation with members – a useful resource, which is published in this issue.
The College’s Medical Microbiology and Medical Virology Specialty Advisory Committee is committed to helping members working in infection to manage their ever-increasing workloads. The SAC, in collaboration with the British Infection Association, recently published a document to help members optimise their clinical consultation activity. SAC Chair Dr Natasha Ratnaraja explains more.
In September 2024, a programme of death certification reforms came into force; the role of the medical examiner is a major part of this, and the College hosted a reception to mark the launch of the statutory medical examiner system in England and Wales. Representatives from government, NHS England and faith communities attended and Dr Suzy Lishman reports for us.
The theme of College’s International Pathology Day event was antimicrobial resistance. We were joined by the inspirational Professor Dame Sally Davies, the UK’s special envoy to the UN on antimicrobial resistance. Kelley Price of the International team has more on this event. Also on the international front, we hear from Dr Charles van Heyningen about progress in a collaboration to strengthen cervical screening services in Moldova.
Another highlight of the College calendar is the very successful undergraduate Pathology Summer School, which last August welcomed 55 medical students from across the UK. The College was also well represented at the Science Museum’s high profile ‘Journey of Life’ Lates event, at which a number of our members showcased the role of pathology. You can read more about both events in the ‘Sharing our subject’ section, along with Dr Caroline Cartlidge and Debamita Bhattacharjee’s report on the public’s perception of pathology, following the Behind the Microscope exhibition at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds.
You may remember that the April 2024 Bulletin had the theme of sustainability in laboratory practice. It was an opportunity to share good practice and initiatives from services across the country and also to highlight what the College itself is doing in response to the climate challenge. One contributor to that issue was Dr Shireen Kassam, who has now been appointed College Sustainability Lead – in this issue, she writes about what this new role will involve.
We also have reports on the 2024 RCPath Cameron Lecture delivered by Dr Farrukh Shah MBE on developments in managing haemoglobinopathies; the work of Clinical Virology Network’s William Tong Prize winner, Dr Julianne Brown, on metagenomics to improve the diagnosis of encephalitis; and a look forward to the 2025 John Dacie lecture, joint-hosted by the College and the British Society for Haematology, which will be delivered by Professor Andreas Greinacher. Meanwhile, histopathologists may be interested in a review by Dr Heather Keir of the third edition of Diagnostic Pathology: Molecular Oncology, by Mohammad A Vasef and Aaron Auerbach.
Finally, a very stormy New Year’s Day here in south Wales was followed by a period of brilliant sunshine and a bracing walk along local beaches and clifftops, while polishing off some Christmas chocolate. We are very fortunate to have such outstanding scenery on our doorstep. Wales Regional Council Chair Dr Anu Gunavardhan reports on the Wales Regional Council’s Symposium and coastal walk, which was similarly blessed with beautiful weather and raised awareness of rare diseases with local politicians.
I hope you will all find something of interest and use in 2025’s first Bulletin issue. If there is content you would like to see in future issues, please get in touch – it would be great to hear from you.
Meet the author
-
Professor Angharad Davies
Clinical Director of Publishing and Engagement
Return to January 2025 Bulletin
