The UK Cardiac Pathology Network (UK-CPN) was set up in 2006 after the publication of the NHS National Service Framework Chapter 8 document “Arrhythmia and sudden death”. This publication recognised the need for effective and accurate cardiac pathology services across the United Kingdom.
The goals of the group were primarily to provide a network for cardiac disease-interested pathologists to refer cases to one another, and also to provide the setting for general pathologists to refer cases inwards.
Secondly, the network group decided that regular teaching should be available for those at consultant and trainee level in order to enhance cardiac pathology understanding and skills.
The third activity was the introduction of a Department of Health funded database of cardiac pathology. Whilst this was active for several years, the funding was later withdrawn and the content data was subsumed in to another database.