Histopathology – 2025 review results

Current priority areas

• 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future
• Science in healthcare: Delivering the NHS Long Term Plan – The Chief Scientific Officer’s strategy

Stakeholder feedback

Feedback collecting through the Curriculum Library survey collected between January 2024 and November 2025. All stakeholder feedback is presented verbatim.

Programme

• There was a large emphasis on dissection throughout the programme and the Histopathology STP feels as though this is the only defined pathway post-STP. The role of clinical scientists in Histopathology is still not widely  accepted or understood. This means that upon completion of the STP it can be very difficult to find suitable roles, especially those that do not involve dissection. It would be wonderful to see other Histopathology pathways explored and encouraged such as in IHC, digital and molecular pathology. As dissection is a BMS and clinical scientist role and there are now a lot of qualified dissectors, a huge opportunity is being missed to get clinical scientists into alternative types of roles that they are trained and have skills for and that would help bridge the gap between scientist and pathologist.

S-H-R1 Introduction to Histopathology

Module aim

• This module seems unnecessary for those of us who have a strong cellular pathology background. 5 years prior experience means I had already been working to above this standard for a long time. It would be useful to be able to submit lab competencies already obtained for basic histopathology/cytopathology so that more time could be spent on development of specialist areas.

S-H-R2 Introduction to Diagnostic Cytopathology

Module aim

• This module seems unnecessary for those of us who have a strong cellular pathology background. 5 years prior experience means I had already been working to above this standard for a long time. It would be useful to be able to submit lab competencies already obtained for basic histopathology/cytopathology so that more time could be spent on development of specialist areas.

S-H-R3 Introduction to Digital, Data and Technology in Cellular Pathology

• no feedback received

S-H-S1 Non-Malignant Dissection

• no feedback received

S-H-S2 Pathological Basis of Disease

• no feedback received

S-H-S3 Malignant Dissection

• no feedback received

S-H-S4 Specialist Histopathology and Service Management

• no feedback received

S-H-S5 Specialist Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Pathology

• no feedback received

Changes made

Module level changes

Programme level changes

• no changes made
  

Periodic review

This specialty curriculum requires significant change beyond the scope of an annual review.

Response – no

Rationale

Please provide an overview of the rationale for why the proposed changes are needed or why changes were not needed, with reference to stakeholder feedback.

Response – no rationale provided by Lead Editor

I confirm I have reviewed the Reflective Practice Guidance for ETAs and DTAs and have made any changes necessary.

Specialty Lead Editor signature: C. L. Cooklyn
Date: no date provided by the Lead Editor

Change control - completed by the school

Programme structure

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 16 January 2026

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) mapping

• No changes to learning outcomes, HCPC mapping maintained.

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 16 January 2026