News

Would you like to join the AAPT council? Nominations required
There are 5 places on Council up for election at the 20th September Annual General meeting.

Voluntary Registration Workshop
On the 5th June, Council Member Iain Johnstone gave a presentation on voluntary registration. In this brief summary, Iain gives an account of his experience in promoting registration to colleagues....

North East Regional APTs: First Annual Seminar
The event will take place at Durham University on Wednes 30 April 2008
and will include a variety of speakers and a trade exhibition.

Introduce a Colleague – promotional subscription offer
The AAPT would like to offer members 50% off the 2008/9 subscription fee for being the official proposal section signatory within the AAPT membership application form of a new or lapsed member.

Performing post-mortem examinations on friends or relatives
AAPT best practice guidance

AAPT Conference 2008
The next AAPT Conference will be held in Birmingham on 20th September 2008.

Images from AAPT Conference 2007
Images from the lectures and conference dinner.

AAPT Consent training day
The AAPT will be holding a training day on issues of post mortem consent on 4th July 2008. The day will run from 10am until 4pm and will covers all aspects of consent including a presentation from the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) on their Code for PM Consent.

Consultation: Pandemic influenza: Guidance on Death Registration and associated Death Certification, Coroner and Burial / Cremation processes
On 30th August the Home Office issued draft guidance on Planning for a Possible Influenza Pandemic - A Framework for Planners Preparing to Manage Deaths. That document referred to consideration being given to changing the arrangements for completing the medical certificate of cause of death and registering deaths. The draft guidance about death registration and the processes linked to the registration of deaths should be read alongside the Home Office draft guidance. The aim of the guidance published here for consultation, is to ensure that processes for death certification and registration can be managed as effectively as possible during a pandemic.

The draft guidance has been produced with input from those working in this field in order to assist local planners in developing their work further, particularly in relation to provision of civil registration services. We are seeking wider comments on this draft and would particularly welcome views and contributions from those managing and delivering the local registration service, other individuals and organisations who provide related services and those involved in pandemic influenza planning and preparedness. Deadline: 22 February 2008.

Federation for Healthcare Science: statement on associate practitioners
The purpose of this statement is to identify some of the key issues that will help professional staff and employers develop effective healthcare scientist roles at Associate level.

Available lecture abstracts
Abstracts from the AAPT Conference 2007.

List of exhibitors
Information on exhibitors at the AAPT Conference 2007

AAPT receives thanks from Scottish police
The AAPT has received thanks from Scottish police for providing assistance during 2007.

Public Health Bill (Scotland)
The Bill on restating and amending the law on public health; making provision about mortuaries and the disposal of bodies was introduced on 25 October 2007 and is currently being considered at Stage 1.

International forensic investigation course
This online course is provided free of charge by the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) International Forensic Program. The course modules were developed by PHR staff and other forensic experts experienced in the assessment, planning and implementation of human rights forensic projects, including the investigation of mass graves. It is intended as a resource for those new to the field, especially in countries where training is not available, and as an overview for those whose expertise is limited to specific areas of investigation.

AAPT Conference 2007: a day of anatomical pathology technology
Another year and another AAPT conference! Andrea Mellor from the AAPT Council reports from a packed programme at the AAPT's conference in Glasgow.

The role of the autopsy in the investigation of fatal aircraft accidents
Fatal air accidents have declined over the past 25 years thanks in part to the detailed investigations into air crashes by aviation pathologists. Wing Commander Graham Maidment from the Department of Aviation, RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, gave a fascinating insight into how pathological findings from the autopsy of the victims of a fatal aircraft accident provide an essential component of the overall investigation of the accident.

Images from AAPT Conference 2007
Images from the trade exhibition and AAPT annual meeting.

Contributing to the work of your professional body
The AAPT is  keen to ensure that it has a wide range APTs involved in all areas of its work and is looking for volunteers for our representational working groups.

Dear AAPT...
Robert McNeil on stepping down as AAPT Chairman after three years. more...