Pathologists like me save lives daily. Yet so few people know what we do

Pathologists like me save lives daily. Yet so few people know what we do Those of us who work in ‘the lab’ often feel forgotten. But our role in the NHS is crucial – and we care deeply about patients. Anyone who watched BBC2’s fly-on-the-wall documentary Hospital might have heard of “the lab”. I am one of many who work there – and as a pathologist I often feel, as many of my lab colleagues do, like a forgotten or unknown entity. There are nearly 20 disciplines of pathology – and that number is growing – and 70% of all diagnoses made in the NHS involve pathology and biomedical science. The Royal College of Pathologists’ annual report [pdf] tells us that more than a billion tests are carried out annually – and NHS England says the number of pathology tests [pdf] equates to 14 for each person in England and Wales. The Guardian