Reflecting on a decade of regulatory developments within the anatomy sector by Dr Caroline Beckett

I attended the Institute of Anatomical Sciences Autumn Meeting in Liverpool, which brought together anatomy professionals from across the sector to discuss current developments, challenges, and emerging best practice in anatomical teaching.

A significant theme throughout the conference was the development of teaching resources over the years with a variety of talks from specialists in the fields of digital technology and advanced imaging and scanning. There were discussions around the use of innovative teaching tools versus traditional anatomical education, including an interesting research study on what constitutes the ‘gold standard’ for anatomy teaching as technology continues to evolve. 

The programme included interactive workshops from 3D printing to governance and quality - this prompted useful discussions on maintaining high standards across the sector. Tours of the University's anatomy departments provided attendees with the opportunity to exchange good practice and gain insight into different approaches to facility management. Engineers from the conference sponsor LEEC also delivered a presentation on equipment developments for anatomy and mortuary facilities. It was particularly valuable to catch up with staff from establishments that I have inspected over the years during the coffee breaks to discuss HTA matters. 

I delivered a presentation reflecting on a decade of regulatory developments within the anatomy sector. The talk gave a background to the HTA and our regulation, highlighted key changes over the past ten years and complemented the wider conference discussions on how the sector has evolved, including what this means for our regulatory oversight.