UNIVERSITY boffins in Bradford are playing a leading role through collaboration with a major international technology company to provide hi-tech, digital pathology training for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The Bradford Pathology programme is being run by the University of Bradford’s School of Life Sciences using digital systems from electronics giant Philips to educate students in the design and delivery of diagnostic pathology.

The university is one of the first in the UK to use the Philips ultrafast scanner and image management system to provide a masters’ level module in digital pathology, which will provide training of these new digital tools for use in diagnostics.

The programme also uses video-conferencing to allow global clinical case reviews and multi-disciplinary team meetings.

Dr. Samar Betmouni, director of clinical pathology, Bradford Pathology, said: “The University of Bradford is committed to offering our students the most advanced training possible, preparing them for new ways of working in the modern lab.

“By partnering with Philips Digital Pathology Solutions,we’re bringing the best technology to students to enable them to prepare for a more collaborative and efficient environment.”

The programme is seen as an opportunity to provide Bradford students with the practical training necessary to become the top recruits in their field and to drive successful adoption of digital solutions across healthcare.

l THE changing nature of apprenticeships over the last 100 years has been documented in two new studies.

Research by Ancestry.co.uk and the University of Lincoln reveals significant changes to the sectors and roles apprentices are working in. In 1914 dressmaking had most apprentices, compared to health and social care today. It found engineering and construction related apprenticeships are as prominent as a century ago. The Centre for Economics and Business Research shows that apprenticeships contributed around £3.7 billion to the Yorkshire economy in 2014. For every £1 spent on apprenticeships, the UK economy gains £21.

Yorkshire and Humber had 103,820 apprentices participating in 2012/13, 11 per cent of the UK total.