Responses to workforce consultations and position statements
The College’s Workforce and Engagement team engage with various stakeholders across the UK to respond to calls for evidence or respond to consultations related to the pathology workforce.
Upcoming statements and responses
Member wellbeing research project - open for tender
The workforce team are seeking tenders for a research project to explore the wellbeing of the pathology workforce.
Following the outcomes of the member workforce survey (2023) and the workforce census (2025), the College seeks to produce a research report that combines historic data with new insights to:
- better understand how our members feel about their work, their workplace and pathology more generally,
- unearth what the impacts are if things stay the same and,
- determine what the College can do to better support the retention of the pathology workforce.
Information on the scope of work, submission requirements and deadlines can be found in the tender documentation below.
Appropriate release of medical colleagues for the purpose for carrying out work for the wider health system, June 2025
The 4 Chief Medical Officers, the GMC, the NHS National Medical Director, and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have written to NHS Boards to encourage them to continue to look favourably on requests from doctors seeking their support to undertake national or regional work for the wider benefit of the public and of health services.
The College welcomes this letter as a strong expression of support for the work our member volunteers undertake, which reinforces its value as a crucial investment in the functioning of the health systems across the UK.
We encourage members to read it, circulate it to colleagues, and refer to it in discussions with employers when seeking to pursue these roles.
We are in the process of developing further guidance to help support members who wish to be released for these purposes and will provide this advice shortly.
You can read the letter on the NHS England website.
Previous statements and responses
2025
NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan, November 2025
We provided evidence to the NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan for England calling for targeted investment in the pathology workforce. Our response stressed that the pathology workforce is key to delivering the 3 shifts identified in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan - from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention – and that successful delivery depends on robust systems, skilled teams, and sustained investment in technology and workforce.
The consultation asked for evidence across 4 areas:
- the 3 shifts
- modelling assumptions
- productivity gains linked to the wider 10-Year Health Plan
- culture and values.
The College’s submission covers each of these in detail and includes case studies of innovative practice that illustrate how – with investment – pathology can increase productivity, support the workforce and improve outcomes for patients across the health system.
You can read more about each theme, along with case studies and a full set of the College's reccomendations at the end of each response document below.
Scotland Future Medical Workforce Project, September 2025
We submitted evidence to Scotland’s Future Medical Workforce Project, highlighting challenges and opportunities for pathology in delivering community-focused care. Our response outlined that pathology services face strain from understaffing and limited funding, and demand will rise as care shifts to prevention and early intervention. Innovation can help but cannot replace pathologists, requiring investment in both core workforce capacity and modern, efficient services.
You can read our full response below.
Men's Health Strategy for England, July 2025
We responded to the Men’s Health Strategy for England, calling for investment so that pathology services can meet growing demand. We highlighted that workforce shortages limit progress on men’s health issues such as cancer screening, diabetes monitoring, and cardiovascular care – and that greater focus on early detection and risk stratification will further increase pathology workload, requiring urgent workforce investment.
You can read our full response below.
The Men's Health Strategy for England was published in November 2025.
NHSE Medical Training Review, May 2025
We responded to the NHSE Medical Training Review, highlighting the challenges faced by residents in postgraduate training and consultants that deliver training. We advocated for robust workforce planning to actively align the number and distribution of training posts with local and regional need, particular in smaller specialties to avoid crisis situations.
You can read our full response below.
The Medical Training Review Phase 1 Report was published in October 2025. Read the College response here: College welcomes postgraduate medical training reform
2024
NSHE 10 Year Health Plan, October 2024
We responded to the 10 Year Health Plan advocating for urgent investment for the future of pathology services.
The College response focused on investment and reform of the pathology workforce, investment into IT, artificial intelligence (AI), digital and automation, investment into pathology estates and facilities, research development and innovation, contingency planning, developing pathology for community-based healthcare.
You can read our full response below.
Fit for Future: NHS 10 Year Health Plan was published in July 2025. Read the College response here: College responds to the release of the Government's 10 Year Health Plan
Pre-2024
HEE Strategic Framework Curriculum for Excellence, October 2021
The College response to the Health Education England (HEE) Strategic Framework CfE (Curriculum for Excellence) in 2021 focused on a range of objectives and priorities, including supporting the COVID-19 response and recovery, aligning with government healthcare workforce priorities, and contributing to the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan. Key themes included long-term workforce planning, collaboration with social care, and providing timely information.
You can read our full response below.