Path360 2026: The NHS Pathology Strategy Conference Midlands
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Path360 2026: The NHS Pathology Strategy Conference Midlands
All Convenzis Events Provide 8 CPD Points Per Delegate
Take part in our conference prize draw by visiting all stands and scanning your lanyard at each for a chance to win £100 voucher.
Sponsors & Partners
Pathology services sit at the centre of NHS recovery, cancer performance, elective care, urgent diagnostics, personalised medicine and long term service transformation. As demand continues to rise, pathology leaders are under increasing pressure to improve turnaround times, modernise laboratory infrastructure, strengthen network working and create more resilient, digitally enabled services.
Path360 2026 Midlands will provide a focused skills and knowledge exchange for NHS pathology, diagnostics, laboratory, clinical and operational leaders. The event is designed to move beyond broad discussion and provide practical insight into how pathology teams can respond to immediate service pressures while preparing for the future of diagnostics.
This is a must attend meeting for teams working across pathology networks, laboratory medicine, cellular pathology, blood sciences, microbiology, genomics, digital pathology, automation, workforce planning, service redesign and diagnostic transformation.
Current Landscape and Challenges
The pressure on pathology services is not a future challenge. It is already being felt across NHS laboratories and diagnostic pathways.
Rising demand, cancer pathway pressure, workforce shortages, ageing infrastructure, variation across networks, manual processes and increasing expectations around faster diagnosis are all placing pressure on services that are already operating at pace.
At the same time, pathology teams are being asked to support major national ambitions around earlier diagnosis, elective recovery, prevention, precision medicine, digital transformation and more joined up care. This means pathology can no longer be seen as a back office function. It is a strategic enabler of the NHS diagnostic system.
Key challenges include:
- Increasing test volumes and demand across urgent, elective and cancer pathways.
- Workforce capacity, retention and succession planning across pathology specialties.
- Variation in network maturity, operating models and service standardisation.
- The need to modernise laboratory infrastructure, equipment and workflow.
- The safe adoption of digital pathology, automation, AI and advanced diagnostics.
- Improving turnaround times, sample logistics and end to end visibility.
- Strengthening data quality, interoperability and integration with wider clinical systems.
- Demonstrating value, productivity and measurable impact from pathology transformation.
Event Format: Skills and Knowledge Exchange
Path360 2026 Midlands will follow Convenzis’ skills and knowledge exchange model, creating a more practical and interactive environment for NHS leaders.
The programme will combine national updates, NHS case studies, expert led sessions, partner insight and focused discussion to help delegates understand what is working, what is scalable and what needs to change next.
Rather than simply hearing about policy, delegates will be encouraged to explore practical delivery questions, including:
- How can pathology networks move from structural change to measurable service improvement?
- Where can automation and digital pathology have the greatest operational impact?
- How can services improve turnaround times without adding unsustainable pressure to teams?
- What does good workforce redesign look like in modern pathology services?
- How can pathology data become more visible, usable and connected across the wider NHS?
- What must be in place before AI and advanced diagnostics can be safely embedded?
Key Themes and Topics
- Pathology network maturity and the next phase of service transformation.
- Digital pathology implementation, adoption and optimisation.
- Laboratory automation and workflow redesign.
- AI, advanced diagnostics and decision support in pathology.
- Cancer pathway improvement and earlier diagnosis.
- Sample logistics, tracking and end to end diagnostic visibility.
- Workforce pressures, training, retention and new models of delivery.
- LIMS, interoperability and integration with clinical systems.
- Productivity, performance data and operational dashboards.
- Sustainable, resilient and future ready pathology services.
Why Attend
Delegates will leave with a clearer understanding of how pathology services can respond to immediate pressure while building the foundations for long term transformation.
Who Should Attend
This event is designed for senior NHS leaders and teams involved in pathology strategy, diagnostics, laboratory operations and service transformation, including:
- Pathology Network Directors and Managers.
- Clinical Directors and Heads of Pathology.
- Consultant Pathologists and Laboratory Medicine Leads.
- Chief Biomedical Scientists and Laboratory Managers.
- Diagnostics, Cancer and Elective Recovery Leads.
- Digital Pathology, LIMS and Informatics Leads.
- Operational, Transformation and Programme Managers.
- ICS, ICB and NHS Trust leaders involved in diagnostics strategy.
- Workforce, education and training leads across pathology services.
- Innovation, procurement and commercial teams supporting diagnostic transformation.
Delegate Outcomes. By attending, delegates will gain:
- A clearer view of the current pathology transformation landscape.
- Practical learning from NHS led examples of change and improvement.
- A stronger understanding of the role of digital pathology, automation and AI.
- Insight into how pathology networks can improve consistency, productivity and resilience.
- Ideas for improving turnaround times, workflow and diagnostic pathway performance.
- Better understanding of how to align pathology services with wider NHS priorities.
- New connections with peers, partners and service leaders across the diagnostics community.
Relevance for Sponsors and Partners
This conference provides a highly targeted platform for diagnostics, pathology, laboratory technology and transformation partners supporting the delivery of sustainable, digital and workforce ready pathology services across the NHS.
Sponsors will be well positioned to demonstrate how their solutions enable:
- Digital pathology and AI enabled diagnostic tools that improve reporting efficiency, clinical confidence and service resilience.
- Laboratory automation, workflow optimisation and sample management solutions that reduce pressure across the diagnostic pathway.
- LIMS, interoperability and connected data platforms that support integrated pathology networks and clinical decision making.
- Advanced diagnostics, genomics and molecular testing solutions that support earlier diagnosis and more personalised patient care.
- Workforce, training and change management solutions that help pathology teams adopt new technology and improve productivity.
- Data, analytics and benchmarking tools that support pathology leaders with planning, performance improvement and investment decisions.
- Infrastructure, equipment and managed service models that help NHS laboratories scale capacity and modernise services safely.
Your Pass Includes....
- This conference is CPD accredited. Attendees will be eligible to gain 8 CPD points upon completion of the event.
- Access to a leading conference speaker programme
- Interactive Q&A sessions
- Leadership Lessons from the Front Line
- Cross-sector best practice
- Meet the supplier opportunities
- Hot breakfast & Lunch included
Tickets For NHS Senior Managers
We have an invite only option for NHS Senior Managers for our conference, to see if you qualify for a complimentary place please click the button below.
Conference Speakers
Chris Sleight MSc BSc
FIBMS
Chief Executive Officer of Sleight Insights
Formerly Chief Officer of the Greater Manchester Diagnostic Networks
Read biography
Dr Rahul
Deb
Consultant Pathologist, Lead Breast Pathologist, Gi Pathologist, Clinical Lead for Digital Pathology and AI implementation
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, UK
Read biography
Joanna
Andrew
Lead Biomedical Scientist, SHYPS & IBMS Past President
York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital FT
Read biography
Kieran
Milton
Head of Pathology Digital Services
University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Read biography
The programme
Registration & Networking
Registration - Open from 8:20 am - Closes at 11:00 am
All delegates must complete their registration process before the 11:00 AM cut-off time. Please arrive in a timely manner to allow for registration and to avoid any inconvenience. Delegates who arrive after the registration deadline will be refused entry to the event.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain the event's schedule and ensuring that everyone can fully participate in the conference. If you have any questions or require assistance, our event staff will be available to assist you with the registration process.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to an insightful and productive event together!
Chair Opening Address
Take part in our conference prize draw by visiting all stands and scanning your lanyard at each for a chance to win £100 voucher. The draw will take place at the end of the final presentation.
Keynote Presentation - Digital Pathology at Scale: Infrastructure, Integration and the Realities of Multi-Organisation Delivery
Session Overview:
Delivering digital pathology across multiple organisations requires robust infrastructure, connected systems and coordinated ways of working. This presentation will explore the practical realities of implementation, examining how pathology IT, interoperability and workflow alignment support safe, sustainable delivery at scale. It will consider the challenges of bringing together different systems, sites and operational priorities, alongside the importance of standardisation, collaboration and service readiness. Delegates will gain practical insights into overcoming barriers to implementation and building the foundations for connected, resilient digital pathology services.
Morning Skills Clinic - Productivity, Flow and Workforce Utilisation: Practical Tools for Senior Pathology Leaders
Speaker TBC
Session Overview:
A practical clinic exploring how pathology services can improve productivity, turnaround times and operational flow through better workforce utilisation, data, logistics and daily management.
Main Sponsor - From Digital to Delivery: The Evidence Behind Our Integration Model
Main Sponsor - SourceLDPath
How can digital pathology deliver measurable improvements in service performance? This session explores the evidence behind our integration model, drawing on real-world case studies, performance data and health economic modelling to demonstrate how an integrated approach can support histopathology services in improving workflows and meeting turnaround time targets.
Morning Break
Got a great question? Ask it during the session for a chance to win a voucher for the best audience question.
Case Study - ProfilerLive
Case Study - ProfilerLive
ProfilerLive is a cutting-edge digital training and competency management platform designed to streamline workforce training and compliance processes. ProfilerLive enables organisations to automate training, track competency progress in real time, and ensure regulatory compliance. With its intuitive interface, real-time reporting, and comprehensive analytics, ProfilerLive empowers managers to make data-driven decisions and optimise workforce planning.
Case Study - Service First: How Real-World Reporting Shapes Better Digital Pathology Products
Case Study - Diagnexia
Session Overview:
Diagnexia delivers digital pathology reporting as a service to UK providers, working inside real lab workflows, PACS environments and reporting pressures every day. That frontline experience directly shapes the products we build. In this session, Mike Langford will share what running pathology-as-a-service has taught us about what labs and pathologists actually need: where digital workflows break down, how AI can support (not replace) pathologist judgement, and what it takes to scale capacity across networks. He’ll also outline how these lessons are informing our next steps in supporting connected NHS pathology hubs.
Leadership Interview Session - Leading AI Enabled Pathology: Empowering People, Improving Practice and Maintaining Safe Adoption
Session Overview:
This session explores how effective leadership can help pathology teams move beyond the theory of AI and into practical, safe and value-led implementation. It will consider how leaders can create the right culture, confidence and governance needed for AI to support teams, improve practice and add value, while maintaining workforce ownership, service quality and patient safety.
Delegate Outcomes:
- Understand the leadership behaviours needed to support safe and confident AI adoption in pathology.
- Recognise how AI tools can support teams, improve practice and add value when introduced with the right leadership approach.
- Identify the cultural, governance and communication foundations needed before introducing AI tools into services.
- Consider how leaders can help teams move from uncertainty or resistance towards practical, safe and value-led adoption.
Case Study - InterSystems
Case Study - InterSystems
Whether you are a part of a large, integrated, multi-site healthcare organisation or an independent standalone laboratory, InterSystems TrakCare Lab Enterprise ensures your services are efficient, compliant, connected and information-driven.
TrakCare Lab Enterprise is delivering faster, more reliable, and more comprehensive processing and reporting of lab results. Providing healthcare professionals around the world with real time information to make better decisions and deliver the best possible care, wherever and whenever they need it.
Coupled with our FHIR enabled, AI ready transformation and interoperability at its core, TrakCare Lab Enterprise really is so much more than just a LIMS.
That’s why labs like Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and the NHS Wales chose the InterSystems solution to help them drive improvements through their service and enhance patient care.
Lunch and Networking
Got a great question? Ask it during the session for a chance to win a voucher for the best audience question.
Case Study - Cymetryc
Case Study - Cymetryc
Cymetryc is a modern user acceptance testing (UAT) platform designed to help NHS organisations deploy diagnostics faster and safer. It replaces spreadsheet-based testing and manual evidence collection with a single, structured platform that provides real-time visibility into testing progress, paperless clinical approval, and inspection-ready documentation.
Used by pathology and digital diagnostics teams to support LIMS, middleware, transfusion, POCT, and integrated diagnostic systems, Cymetryc helps organisations manage diagnostic change while maintaining clinical quality, patient safety, and clear accountability across teams. Clinical staff can execute and document testing as they work, reviewers can approve outcomes online, and leaders gain a clear, auditable view of what has been tested, approved, and resolved.
Cymetryc is built for the realities of NHS diagnostics: complex systems, limited resources, and high regulatory scrutiny. By standardising how testing evidence is captured and reviewed, Cymetryc supports safer transformation while reducing administrative burden on clinical and IT teams.
NHS Deep Dive - From Fragmented Testing to Integrated Diagnosis
Speaker:
Dr Geetha Menon | Clinical Director, Cheshire and Merseyside Haemato-Oncology Diagnostic Service, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories
Session Overview:
Exploring the development of an integrated regional diagnostic service combining morphology, immunophenotyping, molecular genetics and next-generation sequencing to support faster, joined-up diagnosis.
Presentation - Working Together for Successful Digital Pathology: Building Interoperable, Future-Ready Services
Speaker:
Daniel Plews | Vice Convenor, AXREM Digital Pathology Special Focus Group, Source LD Path
Session Overview:
As digital pathology moves from implementation into routine clinical practice, NHS organisations are increasingly focused on interoperability, effective procurement, service resilience and readiness for future innovation.
This AXREM thought leadership session will explore how collaboration between suppliers, clinicians, pathology networks and national stakeholders can support the development of flexible, clinically effective and future-ready digital pathology services.
The session will also introduce two new AXREM Digital Pathology guidance papers focused on interoperability and procuring clinically fit-for-purpose solutions.
Delegate Outcomes
- Understand the key considerations for building interoperable and resilient digital pathology services.
- Explore how effective collaboration between NHS teams, networks and suppliers can support successful digital transformation.
- Gain practical insight from AXREM’s latest guidance on interoperability and procurement of clinically appropriate digital pathology solutions.
Case Study
Case Study
Afternoon Networking
Got a great question? Ask it during the session for a chance to win a voucher for the best audience question.
NHS Deep Dive - AI in Pathology: Opportunity, Risk and the Practical Questions Before Adoption
Session Overview:
The session will touch on the practical challenges facing pathology services, the key questions leaders are be asking around AI, how it can work for services when implemented well, and how it could work against teams if not adopted safely or thoughtfully.
Its a chance to explore the art of the possible, encourage people to think properly about readiness and governance, and share reflections from a service and clinical perspective.
Delegate outcomes from this session:
- Identify the key questions services should ask before adopting or scaling AI in pathology.
- Understand where AI can support pathology teams and where safeguards are essential.
- Explore the operational, governance and clinical risks that need to be considered before implementation.
Gain practical insight into balancing innovation, workforce confidence, service value and patient safety.
Afternoon Skills Clinic - Network Leaders Panel: From Network Structure to Measurable Service Improvement
Speakers:
- David Gibbs, Pathology Network Director, Peninsula Pathology Network (Confirmed)
- Simon Brewer, Managing Director, South West London Pathology (Provisionally Confirmed)
- Claire O’Rourke, Managing Director, Greater Manchester Cancer and Diagnostics Network (Provisionally Confirmed)
Session Overview:
A senior discussion on moving pathology networks beyond structural change and towards measurable improvement across governance, workforce, standardisation, digital maturity and integrated diagnostics.
Chair Closing Remarks
The conference chair will now announce the winner of our conference prize draw. Thank you to everyone who visited all stands and scanned their lanyard to enter.
End of Day
Every attendee makes a difference. We’ll donate one tree for every delegate attending the conference to our partners over at Play it Green and £1 to our Charity of the Year, Stockport Without Abuse.
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