Archived and withdrawn documents

Listed below are previously published College guidance and best practice recommendation documents. They have been withdrawn from general circulation as they are no longer up to date. They should only be used for historical purposes.

Cross-specialty documents

  • The document 'Out-of-hours reporting of laboratory results requiring urgent clinical action to primary care', published in 2010, has been superseded by The communication of critical and unexpected pathology results in our Cross-specialty guidance section.
  • 'The retention and storage of pathological records and specimens', 4th edition (published in August 2009) and 3rd edition (published in October 2006). The 5th edition (published in April 2015) is available in our Cross-specialty publications section
  • 'Questions and answers: The Human Tissue Act 2004', published in October 2006.
  • 'Guidelines on the release of specimens and data to the police and other law enforcement agencies', published in October 2006.
  • 'Concerns about performance in pathology: guidance for healthcare organisations and pathologists', published in February 2006.
  • 'Codes of practice for pathology services and departments', published in May 2005.
  • Draft guidelines for the involvement of biomedical scientists in the dissection of specimens and selection of tissues, published in 2001, was superseded by 'Joint RCPath/IBMS Working Group on the implementation of the extended role of biomedical scientists in specimen description, dissection and sampling – Final report', published in 2004.
  • 'Good medical practice in pathology', published in 2002.
  • 'Transitional guidelines to facilitate changes in procedures for handling ‘surplus’ and archival material from human biological samples', published in 2001 – see the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) website.
  • 'College advice relating to the ownership, storage and release of pathology results', published in January 2000.
  • 'Pathology: the hidden science that saves lives', published in 2000.

Clinical biochemistry

 

Cytopathology

 

Ethics

  • 'A brief guide on consent for pathologists', published in November 2008.
  • 'Guidance on consent for the processing and analysis of clinical samples following an initial consultation', published in November 2008.
  • 'Clinical governance of NHS staff in single-handed practice with particular reference to point-of-care testing', published in March 2007.
  • 'Use of specimens from healthy volunteers', published in August 2005.
  • 'Ethical issues in organ and tissue transplantation to humans', published in August 2005.

Forensic pathology

  • 'Guidance for retention of brain and spinal cord following post-mortem examination and where criminal proceedings are in prospect', published in April 2010.
  • 'Deaths in major disasters: the pathologists' role (2nd edition),' published in 2000.

Genetics

  • 'Code of practice for genetics laboratories', published in August 2006.

Haematology

 

Histopathology/cellular pathology

  • Communication of unexpected findings, urgent reports, delayed reports and the use of alert systems in diagnostic cellular pathology: guidance from the Royal College of Pathologists, published in November 2013. Please note: for information related to this subject, please see The communication of critical and unexpected pathology results
  • 'Telepathology: guidance from the Royal College of Pathologists', published in October 2013.
  • 'Code of practice for histopathologists and histopathology services', published in January 2010.
  • 'Best practice in lymphoma diagnosis and reporting', a joint RCPath/BCSH document, published in January 2008.
  • 'The recognition and roles of specialist cellular pathologists', published in June 2006.
  • 'Joint RCPath/IBMS Working Group on the implementation of the extended role of biomedical scientists in specimen description, dissection and sampling', published in January 2004.
  • See the HTA website and Department of Health guidance: 'Families and post-mortems: a code of practice, forms and information leaflets', published in 2003.
  • 'Guidelines for the retention of tissues and organs at post-mortem examination'. See Human Tissue Authority website, hta.gov.uk, published in 2000.
  • 'Relatives' leaflet: examination of the body after death – information about post-mortem examination for relatives', published in 2000.
  • 'Recommendations for the development of histopathology/cytopathology EQA schemes', published in 1998.

Immunology and allergy

  • 'Allergy services: still not meeting the unmet need', published in June 2010.

Medical microbiology

  • 'Intercollegiate report on reducing transmission of HIV from mother to child in the UK', published in July 2006.
  • 'National guidelines on a standardised proforma for 'chain of evidence' specimen collection and on retention and storage of specimens relating to the management of suspected sexually transmitted infections in children and young people for medicolegal purposes', published in May 2005.

Molecular pathology

 

Neuropathology

  • 'Guidance for retention of brain and spinal cord following post-mortem examination and where criminal proceedings are in prospect', published in April 2010.

Paediatric pathology

  • 'Sudden unexpected death in infancy', published in September 2004.