Hosted by Dr Ingolfur Johannessen, Director of Laboratory Medicine, Dr Charu Chopra, Scotland Regional Council Chair and Consultant Immunologist and Mike Gray, Service Manager, Scott Arthur MP recently visited laboratory medicine ('pathology') services at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to gain insight into the vital role pathology plays in modern healthcare and the need for continued investment. The visit showcased the scale and complexity of diagnostic services, beginning in blood sciences, where highly automated chemistry and haematology systems process over 7,000 samples each day. Discussions also highlighted the crucial but often under-recognised role of immunology, particularly the limited number of clinical immunologists across Scotland and the wider UK.

The visit continued through histopathology, where the end-to-end diagnostic pathway was demonstrated, including specimen reception, dissection, processing, embedding and microtomy. A key message was that, unlike automated platforms in other disciplines, pathologists themselves act as the primary “analysers”, applying expert interpretation to patient samples. The group also explored advances in microbiology/ virology and molecular services, including the adoption of genomic technologies accelerated during the pandemic and the growing role of modern diagnostic methods, AI and automation in infection and cancer diagnostics.

Throughout the visit, staff emphasised the importance of sustained and targeted investment in pathology services to support innovation, workforce development and timely patient care. Emerging fields such as molecular pathology and infection metagenomics, which enable increasingly personalised cancer and infection treatment, underline the critical role pathology plays at the forefront of healthcare delivery and clinical decision-making.

From left to right: Dr Scott Arthur MP, Dr Charu Chopra and Dr Ingolfur Johannessen.  

Photo at the top of the page, from left to right: Dr Scott Arthur MP, Mike Gray, Dr Charu Chopra and Dr Ingolfur Johannessen.  

Our priorities for Scotland 

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