National Pathology Week is our annual celebration of pathology when we highlight the important contribution pathologists make to healthcare. Working in partnership with pathologists and laboratory scientists across the UK, our programme of events and activities aims to engage people of all ages, and improve public awareness and understanding of how pathologists and scientists diagnose disease.
WHAT WE DID IN 2017
National Pathology Week 2017 ran from 6 to 12 November and promoted ‘Pathology in the Community’. The College ran a number of events about pathology in our neighbourhood of Tower Hamlets, engaging school students, political figures, local health representatives and the public.

Adventures in Health: Secrets of the Lab invited school students and families to Mile End Ecology Pavilion to a free science fair. Attendees joined our friendly team of scientists and doctors to go behind the scenes of a hospital lab, with a variety of fun hands-on activities, demos and displays.
The Great Plague: How Autopsies have Transformed our Understanding of Disease saw Dr Suzy Lishman perform a virtual autopsy on a live model to investigate the effects of the plague on the human body.
Our roundtable discussion on cancer screening brought together senior representatives from pathology services, local government and other stakeholders, for a roundtable discussion on cancer screening in Tower Hamlets.
Our social media campaign #TestingTesting asked members to share creative photos to illustrate the value of their work to patients, with some fantastic submissions.

Alongside these events, members from across the UK ran events in hospitals, local schools and even in shopping centres! As always, it was great to see so many pathologists and laboratory scientists reaching out to engage their local communities.
GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR
It’s never too early to get planning for the next National Pathology Week! The 2018 dates are 5 to 11 Novemberso save them in your diary and get some ideas on running your own event by checking out what some of our members did last year, reading our guidance on running your own event and looking through our tried-and-tested activity resources.