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Scottish Government commissions PSA to conduct Right-touch assurance assessment for Healthcare Science
AAPT statement on the Scottish Government decision to carry out a Right-touch assurance (RTA) assessment for Healthcare Science in Scotland
We welcome the decision by the Scottish Government to commission a Professional Standards Authority (PSA) “Right Touch Assurance Assessment” for the Healthcare Science workforce.
The Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology (AAPT) is a professional body for anatomical pathology technologists, with equivalent membership for mortuary assistants, other healthcare science professionals, and anatomical pathology technologists from overseas. The AAPT is recognised as the principal voice for the profession by major stakeholders allied to anatomical pathology technology, mortuary practice and security of the deceased.
The Association is committed to working collaboratively with professional bodies, regulators, governments, and the wider healthcare science community. The AAPT engage with all stakeholders to continuously improve the educational and practical standards for technologists across the United Kingdom and beyond.
The AAPT has long supported the principle that healthcare professions whose work has a direct impact on patient safety, dignity, and public confidence should be subject to appropriate statutory regulation. Public protection must remain the central consideration in determining regulatory arrangements across healthcare science professions, which includes those working in mortuaries - Anatomical Pathology Technologists (APTs).
We also firmly believe that professions already subject to statutory regulation should remain regulated in order to preserve public confidence and professional accountability.
APTs undertake highly specialised and safety-critical APT work within hospital and public mortuary services. APT responsibilities include the management of the deceased and care after death, the preparation and participation in all post-mortem examination activities. APTs are also responsible for the management of infection prevention and control, health & safety requirements, and regular communication with bereaved families, HM Coroners, Procurators Fiscal, pathologists, police services, partner agencies and service users. These duties require consistently high professional standards, accountability, competence, and ethical practice.
The AAPT believes that Anatomical Pathology Technologists should be regulated and registered and therefore included within any future statutory regulatory framework for currently unregulated healthcare science professions. The absence of statutory regulation for APTs creates inconsistency within the wider healthcare science workforce, and does not adequately reflect the level of responsibility and risk associated with the profession.
The PSA Right Touch Assurance Assessment provides an important opportunity to evaluate the risks associated with unregulated professional practice and to consider how statutory regulation could strengthen patient safety, professional standards, workforce assurance, and public confidence.
The AAPT supports the Scottish Government’s commitment to engage with stakeholders throughout this process and welcomes a four-nation approach to discussions on future professional regulation. We look forward to contributing constructively to the assessment process and ensuring that the role of APTs is fully recognised and understood.
The AAPT believes that any future regulatory framework for APTs should:
- protect patients, the public, and bereaved families;
- maintain statutory regulation for professions already regulated;
- include Anatomical Pathology Technologists within statutory regulation arrangements;
- support high professional standards, education, and accountability;
- promote consistency across healthcare science professions;
- recognise the specialist expertise and responsibilities held by APTs and other currently unregistered practitioners.
We will continue to work collaboratively with other professional organisations as this work progresses.