Royal College of Pathologists Celtic Nations Summit 2026 highlights challenges

The Royal College of Pathologists hosted its Celtic Nations Summit 2026 on 24 April, drawing together pathology leaders from across the four UK nations to take stock of the discipline and the pressures facing diagnostic services across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England.

The summit landed alongside the recent launch of the College's 2026 Workforce Census and gave delegates a forum to discuss persistent workforce shortages, the integration of digital pathology, and the long tail of pandemic-era diagnostic backlogs. Discussion ranged across training pipelines, retention, and the role of pathology in supporting cancer pathways and the wider NHS.

The Celtic Nations format reflects the College's commitment to representing pathologists across the four nations and giving each a platform to share priorities specific to its system while building common ground on workforce, regulation, and innovation.