NEWS Career development
Last month I wrote here about a number of workforce problems and the efforts being made to highlight and tackle some of them by bodies including The Royal College of Pathologists and the Institute of Biomedical Science. No press release highlighting the next big thing in pathology digitisation or automation would be complete without at least a couple of paragraphs highlighting how laboratories are struggling to recruit, the percentage of senior staff likely to retire in the foreseeable future, and the likely knock-on effects. Whatever changes are underway and however the NHS develops over the next year or so as part of the Department for Health and Social Care, it is clear that pathology services will be required to do more, with less. Less meaning fewer people; less money meaning more careful investment, and doing more across community setings as well as in hospital, backing up the three shifts. What does this mean for the
workforce? For the younger cohort of
It’s an exciting time for biomedical science; but also a very demanding one
biomedical scientists and laboratory staff? On the face of it, more opportunity. With automation, digitisation, and even – dare I say it? – artificial intelligence now set to take over some of the work that in previous years would have been carried out by junior staff; there are set to be more chances for those in laboratories to step up and take on increased responsibility. To stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before, taking biomedical science further forward and cementing its important – and more visible
Synnovis expands drone operations in London
London-based pathology provider Synnovis is to expand its use of drones in the capital to transport urgent samples from both Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital to its Blackfriars laboratory hub. Synnovis partnered with medical logistics firm Apian in 2024, when a successful trial saw over 6,000 pathology samples transferred by drone between the Synnovis laboratories at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals, in southeast London. Now a new strategic partnership has been agreed to further develop the use of drones and autonomous robotics in pathology logistics. It aims to improve the speed, resilience and cost effectiveness of sample delivery.
This autumn, Synnovis will expand its
use of drone logistics with Apian deploying Maternet drones to service specialist testing at the Synnovis Blackfriars laboratory hub. The first of these flights will carry bone marrow samples critical for the diagnosis and monitoring of blood disorders such as acute leukaemia, including for paediatric patients treated at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. The enhanced speed of sample delivery will allow scientists
across Synnovis, one of SYNLAB UK & Ireland’s four NHS partnerships, to provide results more quickly and support well- informed patient care. This expanded drone delivery service includes new use cases and represents a significant milestone in autonomous logistics, with plans for routes to serve additional Synnovis customers underway. Professor Dominic Harrington, Chief
Scientific Officer, SYNLAB UK & Ireland, said: “Efficient logistics are key to enabling us to provide a successful service for every patient we serve. Extending our drone network will help us ensure we get the right samples, to the right place, at the right time to support clinicians and their patients when they need it most.”
From the Editor
– role in the future of health services. In this issue we have two career-
focused pieces, both looking at how roles in biomedical science develop and progress. Firstly, Aimee Pinnington on the barriers to career advancement in biomedical science – the type of barriers that must be overcome if we’re to achieve what has been set out here. And secondly, Nicky Rouse on developing a professional identity, something that she argues the profession is slower to do when compared to other similar medical roles. As Nicky sets out, biomedical science
graduates are suitable for a huge variety of medical roles. To ensure as many as possible are able to grow and develop within laboratory medicine the opportunities for advancement need to be available, atainable and atractive. It’s an exciting time for biomedical
science; but also a very demanding one. How will the profession meet the future?
Andy Myall
andymyall@pathologyinpractice.com
National Cancer Board formed
People with cancer will benefit from stronger national leadership to improve diagnosis, treatment and care, thanks to a reformed National Cancer Board. It will scrutinise progress against
more than 100 commitments in the National Cancer Plan – including early diagnosis, treatment and quality of life – identifying which are falling behind. The board – which met for the
first time on 21 September – will have dedicated expert leads for rare cancers, including brain tumours, children and young people with cancer, and inequalities in cancer care. It builds on the government’s progress to improve cancer care, with all three cancer standards beter than a year ago and around 250,000 more people over the last year geting diagnosed on time or having cancer ruled out, compared with the year before the election. Independent co-chair Anita
Charlesworth will lead the board alongside Mark Cubbon – from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. The board will meet every quarter and will publish an annual assessment of progress.
October 2026
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