Raising pathology standards
We published 12 NICE-accredited clinical guidelines over the past year and work started on a further 19. 4 webinars to support pathologists with the implementation of new and revised clinical guidelines were delivered. Over 130 people attended the webinars and the recordings have had over 950 views.
Dr Brian Rous has worked on College guidelines since 2012
Clinical guidelines are one of the most important outputs of the College and frequently represent the most visited pages on the website. They are expert-led guidelines that incorporate valuable feedback from the wider College and pathology community and are very influential in improving pathology quality nationally and internationally.
Our clinical guidelines continue to improve both patient care and patient outcomes. A number of our guidelines covering placental examination, perinatal post mortems, and staffing and workload for paediatric and perinatal pathology departments were cited in the interim policy statement from NHS England, and the Scottish and Welsh governments that set out criteria for perinatal post-mortem investigation of fetal and neonatal deaths in England, Scotland and Wales. The new guidance was published to support greater standardisation in access to services and to make the most of the limited capacity and resources of perinatal pathology departments.
None of this work would be possible without members and volunteers who give their time to author and provide expert input into the guidelines.
"The work that goes into the production of clinical guidelines is significant. It is an opportunity to update oneself, and review literature and guidelines of other societies, thus constituting a vital aspect of assuring standards and providing a quality framework. It is an opportunity for senior authors to include relatively junior consultants in the writing of the guidelines. Being part of the College’s guideline programme and its role in supporting and guiding quality assurance is important and worthwhile."
Dr Raji Ganesan has been authoring guidelines for 10 years
We jointly published the ISO 15189:2022 position paper that sets standards for quality and competence in laboratories with the Institute of Biomedical Science and Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and in collaboration with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. The paper provides an overview of the key changes to the standard, which is patient focused and promotes continuous improvement in laboratories, to help healthcare professionals implement new requirements and recommendations for laboratories to perform gap analysis.
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Read moreDelivering high-quality training resources and opportunities
Our International team works alongside international members to improve health outcomes of people and communities around the world. In May, we launched phase 1 of our second series of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) virtual resources. This is a continued collaboration with the GCPS and the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) made possible by funding secured from the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
So far, 14 video lectures have been released and there were over 600 views in the first week of launch. The lectures are part of a programme by GCPS to ensure the training of their residents meets international standards. They highlight new knowledge and insights, enabling better practice, patient management and care and improve outcomes, helping to tackle some of the shared challenges facing pathology services in Ghana and the UK.
Educating people about their care
This year’s National Pathology Week was centred on the theme ‘Pathologists and Patients’, inspiring a vast range of public events around the UK. National Pathology Week provides a focal point for educating the public on the vital role of pathology teams in their care and contributes to our mission to further public education in the field of pathology.
The College held several online events aimed at medical and veterinary undergraduates, Foundation doctors and families. Through our continued partnership with the Social Mobility Foundation, our members delivered events for sixth-form students interested in pursuing medical careers. We also collaborated with Lab Tests Online-UK to promote patient information pages that help people understand the different clinical laboratory tests used to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.
Our Public Engagement team also supported members to run events. In Cardiff, Dr Jonathan Kell was joined by colleagues to raise awareness about inherited blood disorders, offering free screening. During the day, they screened 83 people for disorders such as sickle cell. Biomedical and clinical scientists in Belfast City Hospital held a lab open day for their nursing colleagues, highlighting the multidisciplinary effort to deliver pathology services. An interactive stand at Great Ormond Street Hospital gave patients and visitors the chance to examine slides from different parts of the body under a microscope and to speak to the scientists and laboratory staff who are involved in their care. The Lord Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Stephen Hibbert, attended Care Fertility's event, which involved Scientist Training Programme students talking with patients about fertility screening tests.
Recognising and celebrating service excellence
For International Pathology Day 2022 we hosted a hybrid conference exploring how laboratory medicine has adapted to global health developments and challenges. International Pathology Day continues to grow. It is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of pathology services in addressing global health challenges and find solutions to improving patient outcomes.
We were delighted to welcome our keynote speaker Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, who spoke of the vital role and innovation of pathologists in supporting the WHO’s response to disease outbreaks. Other speakers discussed issues affecting patients in their countries and the solutions that are in place, important partnership programmes and their outcomes, and improvements to laboratory services in low- and middle-income countries over the last 20 years.
The roundtable discussion reflected on how the College’s international activities have evolved since it was founded. All panellists had contributed to and shaped the international work of the College and they shared their highlights. The international reach and membership of the College has grown thanks to the work of the panellists, our International team and committee, international and regional advisors, and many more.
At this year’s RCPath Achievement Awards, we celebrated excellence in pathology services through teamwork and 5 teams received awards. The 5 teams represented a range of specialties, including medical microbiology and virology, reproductive science and haematology, and provide services across the UK and in Sri Lanka. The services recognised have made a difference to the care patients receive. This includes reducing the number of times cancer patients have to attend hospital for treatment, improving the accuracy of embryo selection during IVF, and introducing molecular testing in state hospitals across Sri Lanka ensuring equal access.
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