NEWS Here’s the weather
Welcome to the September issue of Pathology in Practice, and as I write in very late August, the first rain in a few weeks is falling on the parched Chiltern hills nearby. It feels very much like the end of summer, with storms on the way just ahead of the long Bank Holiday weekend. Is there a storm coming in the pathology workforce? The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) has recently produced a report highlighting serious issues in the forensic pathology workforce, drawing atention to unfilled vacancies, a significant proportion of those currently in position nearing retirement, and limited training opportunities. These factors are made worse by the UK’s mixed model of service delivery. The result is a service which the report says is “fragmented, disjointed and inconsistent in its standards and delivery”. A service that is relied upon by the criminal justice system as well as bereaved families. The issues go beyond forensic pathology
of course. Searching the term ‘workforce’ on the news section of our website provides a plethora of stories and reports calling
RCPath has recently produced a report highlighting serious
issues in the forensic pathology workforce
for change, for beter planning, for more standardised operations. This summer alone RCPath and Roche
produced Making every test count, a report which marked the end of a year-long collaboration, showing how diagnostics can enable the effective delivery of the three shifts outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan, which called for – among other things – all Pathology Networks to achieve full digital scanning and reporting by 2029. We also saw the publication of Pathology
Transformation Review 2026, commissioned by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)
NHS on track to eliminate hepatitis C in England
Over 100,000 people in England have accessed potentially life-saving treatment for hepatitis C in the last 10 years as part of a groundbreaking NHS programme, new figures show. NHS data show that since the roll-out
of pioneering antiviral drugs in 2015, over 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C, with England on track to be one of the first countries in the world to eliminate the virus. Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect
the liver and if left untreated, can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening liver damage. It often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has already been significantly damaged, meaning many people have the infection without realising it. Treatment involves a free course of antiviral tablets lasting eight to 12 weeks, which cures more than 95% of cases. The figures come as the NHS urges
those at greater risk of having undiagnosed hepatitis C – including those who have moved to England from certain Eastern European countries, those who have had a tatoo abroad, or those who use or have
previously used injectable drugs – to order a free and confidential home-testing kit online to help rule the virus out. Once a life-limiting diagnosis, hepatitis
C is now a curable condition and effective treatment is estimated to reduce the number of people needing liver transplants by 80% over the next decade, while cuting cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis. England is one of handful of countries
globally to have already exceeded the WHO benchmark of treating 80% of all known cases, with deaths from the virus being reduced by 36% in the last ten years.
From the Editor
which highlights the need to recognise pathology as a core clinical service requiring sustained investment, proactive workforce planning and beter use of its professional expertise.
What will enable this change? Will the current changes afoot in the NHS, clustering Integrated Care Boards together, lead to economies of scale and more standardisation of operations? The appetite for change is present. The leadership of bodies such as RCPath and IBMS – and others – is vital, as is the work of those within the NHS leading the way; for example the Leeds-based National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) and the Geting It Right First Time (GIRFT) pathology initiative. Through the pages of this magazine we will continue to shine a light on best practice and the latest advances. Let’s hope that Government and NHS leaders will find a way to see this change through. How’s the weather where you are? Andy Myall
andymyall@pathologyinpractice.com
Cervical screening: IBMS calls for AI digital cytology
The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) has published a new positioning paper calling for the controlled, independently evaluated implementation of AI-assisted digital cytology within NHS cervical screening programmes. The publication of new research in
BMJ Open, led by IBMS Vice President Allan Wilson, provides new UK evidence demonstrating the potential for AI- assisted digital cytology to significantly reduce the time biomedical scientists spend reviewing cervical screening slides. The research estimates that, if replicated in NHS practice, digital cytology could reduce slide review and reporting time by around 69%, releasing specialist capacity for complex case review, quality assurance, training and improving service resilience. Building on this new evidence,
the IBMS paper concludes that the conversation should now move to how digital cytology can be introduced safely, consistently and effectively across NHS services.
September 2026
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