Pathology has been under intense review over the last 18 months with the Independent Review of Pathology Services under the direction of Lord Carter and we have also seen the publication of the report of the Healthcare Commission on the service. Under such intense scrutiny it is clear that the provision of diagnostic services will have to adapt as we see reconfiguration of hospital services and increasing inroads from the independent sector.

The College is determined to highlight the importance of the pathology service to patient care, emphasising the clinical input and the role in teaching and training and research. Our planned Education Centre will not only be an important resource for our members but will also help our mission of patient and public education.

This year’s annual conference will explore the changing nature of the diagnostic service and will look at the potential impact of the rapid advances in molecular diagnostics and stem cell research on healthcare. While pathology is involved in 70% of diagnoses our support for the screening programmes and our involvement in prevention should not be overlooked as these have enormous potential to have a major impact on public health. Having explored the molecular basis of obesity in the conference last year we will be looking at the importance of nutrition on public health.

The importance of viruses in the pathogenesis of malignancy will also be discussed along with the importance of comparative pathology on the understanding and treatment of cancer. The incidence of cancer is very similar to that of humans and an understanding of the genetic predisposition will have importance to both animals and humans.

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

No