Thank you Mick, Michael and Simon .


The symposium was held at the King’s Fund, London ; organised by the Royal College of Pathologists ( RCPath, founded in 1962 ; separate to the Royal College of Surgeons ). There was a wide range of delegates who were hopefully inspired to a better understanding of the crucial role of pathology in global health .


RCPath is concerned with the science and practice of pathology ( 19 different specialties ), including scientists and medically qualified pathologists - mostly from the UK but also from overseas. Membership by examination is a requirement for UK pathologists.


Without pathology, much of the NHS would grind to a halt ; anyone who has a blood test, cervical smear or tissue biopsy has a pathologist involved in their care ; over 800,000 tests and 120,000 post mortems are done each year in the UK. Sadly the standards set by RCPath and similar organisations are not ( yet ) reached in many parts of the world.