Terms & Conditions
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website www.VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk (the "Website"), operated by the VirtualMicroscopy team ("we", "us", "our"). By accessing the Website you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Website.
1. About the Website
VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk is an independent digital teaching and examination platform for professionals and trainees in the fields of haematology and haematopathology. Content has been produced by consultant-level subject matter experts and is offered as a supplementary educational resource.
2. Independence from the Royal College of Pathologists
VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk is an entirely independent platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, accredited by, or approved by The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) or any other professional college, regulatory body, or examining authority. No content on this Website originates from or has been reviewed by the Royal College of Pathologists. Users must not represent completion of this material as formal RCPath-approved study.
3. Eligibility and Access
3.1 Free Access — UK and Irish Trainees and Students
Registered medical trainees currently enrolled in a recognised haematology or haematopathology training program or University in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland are entitled to access the Website free of charge, subject to registration. The website team reserve the right to request verification of trainee status.
3.2 Paid Access — Professional and Overseas Users
Overseas trainees based outside the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and Professional Users within the United Kingdom and Ireland may access the Website upon payment of a one-off fee. Payment is processed securely through Stripe (see Section 9). Once paid, access is granted for a minimum of 12 months. Access is provided without warranty or guarantee. The VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk team reserve the right to remove or limit access at any time as required for operational reasons. There will be no refund of the one-off payment for any reason other than site failure within the initial 12-month period.
3.3 Account Responsibility
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity conducted through your account. You must not share your account or permit third parties to access the Website using your credentials.
4. Educational Purpose and No Warranty
All content on this Website — including but not limited to virtual slides, case reports, examination questions, written commentary, and reference material — is provided for educational and training purposes ONLY. While content has been produced by consultants with recognised expertise, we make no representation, warranty, or guarantee, whether express or implied, that any content is accurate, complete, current, or fit for any particular purpose. The Website and all its contents are provided "as is" and "as available" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
In particular, and without limitation:
- Content may not reflect the most recent clinical guidelines, diagnostic criteria, or scientific evidence.
- Content must not be used as the sole basis for clinical decision-making or patient care.
- We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, or outdated information.
- This platform is not a substitute for formal training, examination preparation provided by a recognised college, or current peer-reviewed literature.
5. Intellectual Property
The vast majority of teaching material on this Website — including virtual slides, written cases, explanatory text, and examination questions — has been created de novo by subject matter experts and is the intellectual property of VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk and/or its contributors. All rights are reserved.
You may not reproduce, redistribute, publish, sell, or adapt any material from this Website without prior written permission, except for personal, non-commercial educational use. Downloading or screen-recording content for redistribution is strictly prohibited.
6. Patient Material and Consent
Some slide material on this Website was derived from biological samples obtained from patients attending NHS teaching hospitals or equivalent institutions. Samples were collected during the course of routine clinical care and patient consent for use of material for teaching and educational purposes was obtained as part of standard clinical practice, in accordance with applicable legal and ethical requirements.
All patient-identifiable information has been removed. Case reports and associated data have been de-identified such that, to the best of our knowledge, no patient can be identified from any material published on this Website. We take seriously our obligations in respect of patient confidentiality.
6.1 Reporting Potentially Identifiable Material
If you believe you have encountered any material on this Website that contains, or could reasonably be considered to contain, patient-identifiable information, please report it immediately using either of the following methods:
- Via the Send Feedback form available on the Website.
- By email to: webmaster@virtualmicroscopy.co.uk
Reports will be investigated promptly and the relevant material will be removed pending review.
7. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
- Use the Website for any unlawful purpose or in breach of any applicable law.
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Website or its systems.
- Upload, transmit, or distribute any harmful, offensive, or infringing content.
- Use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to extract data from the Website.
- Reproduce or share examination questions, marking schemes, or assessment content.
- Impersonate any person or misrepresent your trainee status to obtain free access.
8. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk and its contributors, operators, and employees shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Website or its content. This includes, without limitation, any loss arising from reliance on content for clinical practice or examination preparation.
Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
9. Payments and Stripe
Payments from overseas users are processed by Stripe, a third-party payment processor. When you make a payment, your payment card details and associated financial data are transmitted directly to and stored securely by Stripe in accordance with Stripe's own Privacy Policy and PCI-DSS standards.
VirtualMicroscopy.co.uk does not collect, store, or have access to your payment card details, bank account information, or any other financial credentials. Payment data is held exclusively by Stripe and is subject to Stripe's terms and privacy policy, available at stripe.com.
All fees are quoted inclusive of any applicable tax unless otherwise stated. Access fees are non-refundable once access has been granted, except where required by applicable consumer law.
10. Modifications to the Website and Terms
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Website or any part of it at any time without notice. We may update these Terms periodically. The date of the most recent revision is shown at the top of this document. Continued use of the Website following any change constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
11. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protection rights you may hold in your jurisdiction of residence.
12. Contact
For any queries regarding these Terms, please contact us at: webmaster@virtualmicroscopy.co.uk