In early March 2026, the College will be running its workforce census for a second time. All fellows, diplomates, affiliates, registered trainees and candidates working in the UK will receive an individual invite to participate via email - keep an eye out for the link and help shape the next phase of workforce planning. 

Following the 2026 census, the College does not intend to conduct another census until 2028. The data collected this year will continue to play a central role in supporting our advocacy activities aligned to the College Workforce Strategy. We, therefore, strongly encourage all invited participants to complete the census.  

How will I be able to access the census?  

Each eligible participant will be sent a unique survey link from [email protected] or [email protected]. Please ensure these email addresses are saved in your contacts, as NHS firewalls have previously flagged census emails as spam. Adding these addresses to your contact list will help prevent this.   

If you are a Joint Royal College Physicians Training Board registered trainee, training in Immunology or Haematology but are not yet registered with the College, and you would like to contribute to the census, please get in touch at [email protected].  

Why is it important that I respond to the census?

The census is a straightforward way for members to tell us about workforce pressures, challenges and possible solutions, helping build the evidence we need to feed into workforce planning. 

Your insights help the College advocate on your behalf, informing government and NHS leaders, shaping policy discussions, and responding to media inquiries. The data also highlights specialty - and region - specific trends, which we publish via our specialty reports and use to influence broader conversations with stakeholders, including parliaments.  

Why are we running the workforce census again?  

Central to the workforce strategy is the recognition that workforce planning cannot rely on incomplete or outdated data. Pathology has historically been served by fragmented datasets, inconsistent reporting and limited visibility of workload pressures.  

Last year’s census gave the College our most robust data set to date. Running it again in 2026 allows us to improve this data set and track year-on-year changes. It also is an opportunity for anyone who did not respond last year, to complete their census this year.