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Written question asked by Lord Ravensdale (Crossbench) on Friday, 20 March 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.


Pathology: Vacancies

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the report by the Royal College of Pathologists, Paediatric and perinatal pathology workforce report 2025, published in November 2025.

Answer

The paediatric and perinatal pathology workforce report highlights the extent of the workforce crisis in paediatric and perinatal pathology and the impact this can have on turnaround times and families.

NHS England has launched a national programme to strengthen perinatal and paediatric pathology services and to improve service capacity and resilience.

A £20,000 recruitment incentive for new trainees has been introduced, a fully funded international recruitment campaign has launched, and a new National Training Programme Director has been appointed.

Further initiatives are underway to review the training pathway, develop advanced practitioner roles, and implement a retention strategy for existing staff.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL15826
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Vacancies Pathology
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk