National Pathology Week
National Pathology Week (NPW) is our annual celebration of pathology, when we highlight the important contribution pathologists make to healthcare. Working in partnership with pathologists and laboratory scientists, our programme of events and activities aims to engage people of all ages, and improve public awareness and understanding of how pathologists and scientists diagnose disease.
We welcome pathology-related events and activities of all sizes, and various formats (including online), in our nationwide programme. We’ve got lots of ideas and free resources to help with planning and delivering great activities.
National Pathology Week 2026
National Pathology Week 2026 will run from 2 to 8 November. The theme for 2026 is 'Welcome to the Lab'. We hope you are inspired by this to run an event or activity to highlight the importance of pathology, and share the work that pathology teams do to diagnose, prevent and treat disease. Resources and event ideas will be added here soon so watch this space!
Ways to get involved this year
Interested in hosting your own event for NPW 2026? Here are some ideas of activities you can run:
- Set up a stall in your hospital or university to showcase what your team does. You can order free RCPath promotional materials here.
- Highlight the role of pathology teams in prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Check out our Facts and Figures page.
- Run a hands-on activity for your local community. Check out our free resources and activity packs here.
- Give a careers talk to your local schools or universities. Have a look at our 'how to' guide for more details.
- Run a lab tour.
Downloadable NPW logos and graphics
Become a pathology ambassador
We've teamed up with STEM Learning to provide our members with the opportunity to sign up to the national STEM ambassador scheme. More information is available in STEM Learning's handbook and leaflet provided below and on our Pathology ambassadors page. Becoming a STEM Ambassador is a great way to get involved in engaging school age students with pathology.