News
AAPT Renewals 2023 - Chair Report
It’s renewal time again and I’d like to thank each one of you for entrusting us with another 12 months of your professional representation
I really hope you’ve managed to come relatively unscathed through what, I think I can safely say, has been the worst winter in terms of excess deaths in living memory. According to ONS data, there were 15,373 excess deaths in England between 24th September and 30th December 2022 – an average ration of registered deaths/expected deaths of 1:12.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were structures in place across the system to manage the excess deaths arising from the situation, for instance the DLUHC Death Management Cell. This Central Government-led arrangement brought together expertise and physical resources to support the response, however this time, these structures have been largely absent.
Fortunately, lessons that were learned during the Covid period were quickly brought to bear to meet this new challenge. Nonetheless, it has certainly been the worst I’ve known it since I began as a trainee APT back in 2001.
Despite the turmoil, AAPT has been steadily plugging away at the objectives laid out in the 2021-2025 strategy, with some examples of progress as follows, along with some other news:
Science Council Full Licence
Thanks largely to the hard work of the AAPT Secretary, Mr. Christian Burt, AAPT fulfilled all the criteria to be approved for a full licence to award RSciTech, RSci and CSci. This significant step forward will allow APTs to gain a professional registration award that demonstrates their parity with Scientists and Technicians from the entire UK science community and opens a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities.
The achievement of the full licence aligns with the AAPT strategy and will allow the further advancement of the profession. I would highly recommended that AAPT members apply for these professional awards and further showcase the profession of Anatomical Pathology Technology to the wider scientific and technical community.
Education, training, and webinars
AAPT continue to provide a wide range of free-to-members online educational events, which are proving very popular, and the always-oversubscribed consent training continues to go from strength-to-strength. See www.aaptuk.org or follow the AAPT Twitter account @AAPTTweets for the latest events. We also continue our close working partnership with the course leads at the University Hospital of North Tees.
Increasing Income
AAPT continues to expand our roster of company members, with several added in the past few months – look out for them at AEE 2023.
AAPT now formally offers peer-review services to organisations who would like to benchmark and/or improve their services to meet all relevant standards. Please feel free to refer any interested managers to me to discuss. This service is positive, non-judgemental, and completely confidential, with several happy customers already.
Member awards
In our 20th year, founding AAPT Chair Alan Moss was made an Honorary Fellow of the AAPT at a celebration event in November.
Past Chair of the AAPT, Ishbel Gall, was made an Honorary Fellow by the Academy for Healthcare Science at a recent ceremony at the House of Lords - a huge honour for Ishbel and the AAPT.
AAPT Fellow, Mike Conway, was awarded an MBE for services to Anatomical Pathology Technology in the New Year Honours List. Mike is an extremely dedicated and experienced APT and this was well-deserved and long overdue award.
Gemma Norburn RSciTech MAAPT was recognised in the Science Council’s CPD Awards, receiving a commendation in the RSciTech category.
Annual Educational Event
AEE 2023 promises to be another excellent event, with a diverse range of interesting speakers and abstract presentations. AEE 2023 will be held at the Leonardo Hotel, Milton Keynes, MK9 2HP on Saturday 30th September 2023 and registration is now open.
Membership Fees
Membership fees will remain at the current rate, with no increases for any member grades.
As always, I very much encourage comments and suggestions, so please feel free to drop me a line anytime at chair@aaptuk.org.
Stay safe,
John Pitchers MSc FAAPT FRSPH MIBMS
AAPT Chair