Hello and welcome to the official blog of UK Pathology Ltd! This is our very first blog post, and we are excited to share many more with you in the future. Our goal is to publish a couple of posts fortnightly, so stay tuned for regular updates.
A Bit About Us
I’m Mohammed Khan, the founder and CEO of UK Pathology Ltd. Alongside me is my partner, Noorus Saba Khan, who serves as the co-founder and CFO. Together, we run this business with a focus on providing remote telepathology reporting and consulting services to start-up companies, research institutions, and survey institutes.
My Journey in Histopathology
My journey in histopathology began as a Senior House Officer in Cardiff. I then moved on to a lecturership at Bristol University, where I spent the majority of my time until completing my training in 2012. Passing my FRCPath exam and successfully completing my training was a significant milestone for me. However, transitioning to a consultant role came with its own challenges, as I realised the full responsibility of my work with no senior consultant to back me up.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked in several small district general hospitals and have now settled in a large teaching hospital with a histopathology department comprising 25 consultants. This experience has not only shaped my skills as a pathologist but also helped me grow as a person. I started as a general reporting pathologist and have now specialised in breast pathology and medical renal pathology. Additionally, I am an educator, appraiser, and the lead in digital pathology for my department. More recently, I have been involved in consulting for telepathology start-up companies, gaining invaluable insights into the business world.
Changes in the Medical Landscape
Over the years, I’ve witnessed significant changes in the medical landscape, making it almost unrecognisable compared to 30 years ago. Back then, junior doctors were referred to as pre-registration house officers, senior house officers, and specialist registrars. There was no central training structure, and individual trusts were responsible for training junior doctors.
Some of the landmark changes I’ve seen include:
- Introduction of electronic record-keeping
- Implementation of appraisals and clinical governance
- Advances in immunohistochemistry
- Centralisation of services (hub and spoke model)
- Establishment of training schools for junior doctors
Now, we are in the midst of a digital revolution with the digitisation of histopathology and the introduction of AI in our reporting practices.
Current Challenges and Future Prospects
One of the significant challenges we face today is the dire shortage of medical staff and specialists, including histopathologists. Unfortunately, I believe this shortage will worsen before it gets better. The foundation of UK Pathology Ltd. is built on the belief that effective utilisation of technology can help overcome these shortages. By partnering with the private sector, we aim to address the current problems of reporting capacity and the ever-increasing workload.
As advancements in medical science continue, there will be increasing complexity in every field of medicine and more novel molecular techniques to combat cancers. Our mission is to stay at the forefront of these advancements and continue providing top-notch telepathology services.
Stay in Touch
We welcome you to reach out to us at query@ukpathology.com, and we will aim to respond within five working days. Thank you for visiting our blog, and we look forward to sharing more insights and updates with you in the coming posts.
Stay tuned and take care!
Mohammed Khan Founder and CEO, UK Pathology Ltd.