News
Membership renewal 2016 Message from the Chair
As we approach the 2016-17 subscription year on 1st April 2016, AAPT Chair Ishbel Gall reflects on the last twelve months of AAPT activity.
"This past year has, as every other year, presented challenges and new goals for the professional body and Council has worked hard to rise to all these new challenges.
In order to try and understand the priorities of anatomical pathology technologists (APTs) across the country another survey was conducted to ensure we are working hardest at the things most important to you the membership. It would seem that your priorities are still the areas in which we spend most of our time working, Education & Training, Best Practise and Regulation. Several points were raised by respondents and these are being actioned by Council, if they have not already been addressed.
Regulation and registration are still being overseen by the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), although AAPT are still exploring other routes to regulation and continue to highlight our unique role. AAPT made both written and verbal submissions to the All-Part Parliamentary Group investigating delays between death and burial or cremation which brought anatomical pathology technology to a wider audience.
AAPT have continued to work with many Professional Bodies and Government agencies over the past year and given advice to many committees including cross party Government groups.
Congratulations are due to those trainees who have now passed the Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology, this is a tremendous achievement. A special mention must be given to those mentors in the workplace, those APTs who have assessed in the workplace and the course organisers without whose time and effort the new qualifications would not have been in place. As the qualifications roll out more assessors will be required so if you think you would like to be involved, please check the website for details.
The Modernising Scientific Careers team are looking at apprenticeships in healthcare science and possibly this may qualify for funding in the future along with the higher qualifications.
The Annual Conference, which was held in Inverness last year, was again a great success, and I’d like to thank all those of you who organised and attended. Without the organisers there would be no conference and without the delegates support we could not continue to provide such high calibre speakers. I’d also like to thank the trade exhibitors for their vital and continued support in providing sponsorship without which it would be very difficult to stage such an event.
At the AGM a new level of membership for Mortuary Assistants was approved and this will come into effect as of this membership year. This Associate grade membership will hopefully provide support for those who work in the mortuary and bereavement services environment but are not training to be APTs. We would encourage APTs to promote this amongst eligible staff.
This year we are travelling to the other end of the country, the Conference is being held in Eastbourne, on Saturday 24th September, registration is now live: please take advantage of early booking discounts and Student members can also attend at a discounted rate. The provisional programme is on the website and there are a variety of topics being covered this year. By moving the Conference to a different venue each year we hope to make it accessible to as many members as possible.
Since 2003 the website has provided information and a place for members to ask questions from their peers, but as we all know technology does not stand still and AAPT needs to move with the times! To address this we are developing a new website which will be mobile and tablet friendly with the added benefit of an on-line CPD scheme. This is a membership benefit which I’m sure will be of great benefit to all APTs. Developments are at an early stage but we hope to have this up and running during the course of this membership year.
Once again thank you for your support and I hope that this year we can continue to take the profession forward and work towards our common professional goals"
Ishbel Gall FAAPT FRSPH MIBMS
Chair of AAPT