UK NEQAS is an independent, not-for-profit consortium of external quality assessment schemes based in the UK but providing services to diagnostic laboratories, assay manufacturers and near-patient testing schemes world-wide: www.ukneqas.org.
We have over 40 years’ experience in delivering schemes to monitor the performance of diagnostic assays. Our current repertoire encompasses all forms of diagnostics, from Reproductive Science to Molecular Genetics. We cover both large volume routine analytes and specialist diagnostics and are continually increasing our repertoire to cover new tests.
We have close links with diagnostic laboratories and many of our Directors/Organisers are also actively involved in providing clinical diagnostic services to patients, basing all our advice and activity in the realities of current diagnostic practice. This gives us an insight into the requirements for patient safety, best practice and the needs of laboratories and near-patient analysis. We work closely with manufacturers to help them deliver the best diagnostics possible.
UK NEQAS is about more than monitoring technical accuracy and precision of results. We use our expertise and experience to educate and assist our participants through scheme distributions, electronic learning facilities, meetings and websites. We focus on clinically relevant issues of importance to good patient care. In this we are supported by advice from scientific and clinical experts through our Steering Groups and the National Quality Assessment Advisory Panels (NQAAPs) within the UK. This added value is becoming increasingly important to maintain quality in diagnostics and to develop the skills of the diagnostic workforce.