What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of workforce shortages in Welsh pathology services?
Responsibility for workforce planning, recruitment and deployment rests with individual health boards, who are responsible for ensuring they have the workforce required to meet local service needs.
The Welsh Government recognises that workforce shortages can create service pressures and affect the resilience of pathology services in some areas of Wales.
Through Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), the Welsh Government supports workforce supply through investment in education and training. Pathology is a key component of HEIW's Diagnostics Workforce Plan, with action focused on workforce sustainability, training, education and workforce supply to support service recovery and transformation.
These actions are increasing the supply of pathologists available to health boards across Wales. Official statistics show a marginal rise in the number of full-time equivalent professionals working in specialist pathology over the past 12 months.