Introducing professional change in histopathology

• Main Author: Lloyd, Barbara A.
• Published: University of Portsmouth 2008
• Subjects: 362.177
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.494136

The overall aim of this thesis was to identify actions needed to introduce professional change in histopathology in order to respond to the Government's Modernisation Agenda for Pathology and meet cancer targets by reducing the turnaround time taken for a patient to receive a diagnosis and therefore start treatment. In addition, change methodology was examined to help cope with increasing workloads, both in terms of numbers of specimens and degree of complexity, and to break down assumptions of professional boundaries to establish the skill requirements to make best use of newly developed roles and applied technology. The work took the form of action research and the outcome from each step informed the direction of the rest of the project and resulted in changing working practices. The project work included the development of training programmes and examinations to support extended and expert roles for biomedical scientists which would help to solve the recruitment and retention crisis in histopathology.