Receive, label and store of a wide range of histopathology specimens.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Minimum data set required for identification of samples and the importance of ensuring that this is complete and correct.
• Factors affecting sample integrity and appropriate corrective action.
• Procedures for handling samples which may contain category 2, 3 and 4 pathogens.
• Types and implications of hazards and risks associated with handling of specimens and relevant control measures.
• The quality management process that ensures the correct location and storage of documentation and specimens at each stage of the process.
• Legal and ethical considerations and requirements in respect of examination of tissue, selection of control material and disposal of specimens.
• Infection risk from blood samples and how to deal with fresh tissue samples.
• Safe laboratory practices, including principles of decontamination of equipment and work areas.
• Specimen acquisition, viability, collection and delivery, including renal biopsies and bullous skin diseases.
• Quality assurance procedures and their application.
• Local and national health and safety policies and procedures and their application.
• The range of imaging procedures available and their use, including storage of images.
• Correct and safe use of imaging equipment and processing of X- rays or photographic films if required.
• The dissection of FRCPath category A, B and C specimens.
• Principles and practice of fixation.

Prepare and use a microtome on a range of tissue samples within different embedding materials.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Principles of specimen dissection and block selection.
• Tissue processing and embedding techniques.
• Decalcification.
• Microtomy, cryotomy.
• Macrophotography.
• Normal cellular morphology and ultrastructure of specified tissues and organ systems, including skin, building on basic anatomy and physiology.
• Basic principles of tissue preparation techniques, including factors affecting selection and their application.
• Factors that influence the quality and integrity of prepared specimens.
• The principles of specimen dissection and manipulation to expose features of interest.
• Basic principles of demonstration techniques and their rationale and hazards.

Apply the haematoxylin and eosin staining technique to a variety of tissue samples.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Haematoxylin and eosin staining techniques and their application.

Select the appropriate tinctorial and/or histochemical staining techniques required to demonstrate a specific disease process using appropriate control material.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Special stains to identify individual tissue/cellular components, e.g. connective tissues, nucleic acids, mucins, lipids, pigments.
• Histochemical techniques and their application.
• Potential artefacts, their identification and importance.

Select the appropriate impregnation techniques required to demonstrate a specific disease process using appropriate control

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The range of tinctorial and histochemical staining techniques, their selection and application to disease processes.
• The range of control materials and their appropriate use.
• Capabilities and limitations of methods, techniques and equipment.
• Principles and applications of techniques using different instrumentation.
• Correct use and application of reagents for analysis.

Set up and use light microscopy at various magnifications in the investigation of a range of tissue specimens.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The function of microscopic components and how to set up a microscope for investigation of histopathology specimens.

Select the appropriate enzyme histochemical techniques required to demonstrate a specific disease process using appropriate control material.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Histochemical techniques and their application.

Select the appropriate immunohistochemical and/or immunofluorescence techniques and antibodies to demonstrate a specific disease process using appropriate control material.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The principles and common application of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.

Select the appropriate molecular techniques, markers and reagents required to demonstrate a specific disease process using appropriate control material.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The principles and common application of molecular techniques in Histopathology.

Produce a basic interpretative report on histopathology investigations.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The components required for a histopathology report and their relevance to patient care.
• The information to be included in an interpretative report.
• How to construct an interpretative report and the format required for presentation.
• Limits of responsibility in the authorisation and issue of interpretative reports.
• Clinical conditions that may require urgent action and how to instigate such action.
• Normal and abnormal results and their significance to the clinical question or condition.
• Relevance and importance of specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, precision and linearity in the evaluation of analytical methods.
• The range of further investigations that may be required, their purpose, capabilities and limitations.

Control infection risks in accordance with departmental protocols.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• Protocols and requirements for hygiene and infection control related to the relevant range of investigations, including preparation, conduct and completion of investigation.
• Protocol for hand washing and how effective hand washing contributes to control of infection.

Minimise risks and hazards in compliance with health and safety policies.

Knowledge and skills you might demonstrate

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• The relevant health and safety regulations for laboratory and clinical investigations.
• The specific health and safety regulations for the specialism, type of specimen/sample and investigation.
• The potential hazards and risks and the actions to be taken to minimise these.
• Responsibilities and scope of practice of laboratory personnel involved in performing investigations and reporting those investigations to users.