CONTENTS PPi May 2026


Volume 27 Issue 3


COVER STORY Automated mass spectrometry arrives at SWLP


6


With the UK’s first cobas Mass Spec solution installed at South West London Pathology, Roche Diagnostics is promising a step change in advanced diagnostics.


OPINION Transforming NHS cancer care: from glass slides to AI


NEWS ARTICLES


Digital pathology: what is actually required of the latest technology?


17


After publishing its predictions for digital pathology in 2026, Signify Research wanted to test those forecasts against clinical reality, and asked pathologists what they wanted from new technology.


Distributions, outliers and confidence intervals in laboratory data 22 Stephen MacDonald begins a new series of articles with an introduction to statistical interpretation focusing on improving the quality of the first statistical encounter with a dataset.


Editor Andy Myall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .andymyall@stepcomms.com


Science Editor Brian Nation CSci FIBMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . briannation@stepcomms.com Publisher Geoff King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .geoffking@stepcomms.com Business Manager Peter Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . petermoon@stepcomms.com


Journal Administration Katy Cockle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .katycockle@stepcomms.com Design Laurence Hallam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .laurencehallam@stepcomms.com Publishing Director Trevor Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trevormoon@stepcomms.com


Advisory Panel


Dr Nigel Brown FIBMS Gavin Knight CSci FIBMS Wendy Leversuch CSci FIBMS Dame Dr Suzy Lishman CBE FRCPath Dr Stephen MacDonald FRCPath


Prof Gerry McKenna DSc CSci FIBMS Malcolm Needs CSci FIBMS Dr Sarah Pit CSci FIBMS Dr John Rees FIBMS


5 9


Building diagnostic capability through people: workforce strengthening


How training and development provided by UK NEQAS Cellular Pathology Technique works to strengthen the cellular pathology workforce.


Influenza vaccines: the intricacies of tracking a moving target


Maria Zambon describes the worldwide process of preparing and coordinating influenza vaccines, and how new strains can have an unwelcome impact.


Value-based procurement in NHS pathology services


An introduction to value-based procurement for practitioners working in NHS pathology services, and practical steps to make VBP workable.


Are we providing suitable analytical performance specifications for EQA?


An account of a recent study which used historical data to establish clinically appropriate analytical performance specifications for several serum chemistry analytes.


Point-of-care testing: advantages and challenges 49 From early applications that saw the development of urine dipsticks, pregnancy and blood glucose testing, to lateral flow COVID devices, point-of- care testing has come far in the past 70 years.


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