UKAS Accreditation:

in Healthcare

United Kingdom Accreditation Service

2 Pine Trees, Chertsey Lane

Staines upon Thames, TW18 3HR

www.ukas.com

Underpinning quality and confidence in diagnostichealthcare services

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in Healthcare

NHS England, NHS Improvement and the CQC arecommitted to, and strongly endorse, participationin accreditation schemes for diagnostic services.Participants in these schemes undergo a rigorousindependent review of their services, at regularintervals in time, and have systems in place forongoing and continuous quality managementand service improvement.”

NHS England, NHS Improvement,

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Communication to Chief Executives and

Medical Directors of all NHS Trusts October 2018

Further informationThe influence and use of UKAS accreditation within theHealthcare sector is growing. For the latest updates, information or to find an accredited diagnostic Healthcareprovider, please visit www.ukas.com/sectors/healthcare

If you would like further information about UKAS accreditation, please contact UKAS by telephone on +44 (0)1784 428728 or by email at info@ukas.com.

UKAS B29 03/2019

UKAS Accreditation: Underpinning quality and confidence in diagnostic healthcare services

UKAS accreditation provides reassurance to patients, commissioners andhealthcare providers of the quality of a diagnostic service. Through independent and impartial evaluation against recognised standards, accreditation seeks to validate and recognise success, as well as drive upthe quality and consistency of service delivery by aspiring towards excellencewith quality patient outcomes at its core.

UKAS accreditation is a tool that can be usedto support the delivery of informed and effective commissioning, good governanceand patient confidence. Many regulatorsrecognise accreditation as a mechanism tosupport their function, for example in England, medical laboratory, diagnosticimaging, and physiological diagnostic serviceaccreditation is recognised by CQC and isapproved for use within the CQC hospitalinspection methodology. The Welsh Government has set its healthcare scienceworkforce the task of developing a nationalaccreditation plan for healthcare science-led services and to work with UKAS towardsmore accredited services.

UKAS accreditation provides a mechanismfor measuring quality that encourages innovation through continuous service improvements and can act as a leverage for change to improve the overall patientexperience from initial diagnosis, throughto treatment and beyond.

“CQC cannot go into every corner of ahospital so we will mainly focus onthose areas where patients are likelyto be at risk… Accreditation and peerreview already play an important rolein quality improvement in areas suchas mental health, diagnostics andcancer and I strongly believe thatsuch schemes have a key role to playin the future of hospital inspection.”

Professor Ted Baker, CQC, Chief Inspector of Hospitals

Medical LaboratoriesNearly 800 million tests are performed annually in medicalpathology laboratories, resulting in 50 million reports sentfrom laboratories to GPs every year. Tests performed inmedical laboratories provide vital information to assist inthe diagnosis and treatment of illness and can also be usedto help monitor chronic conditions. UKAS accredits medicallaboratories against ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence. ISO 15189specifies the requirements for quality and competence toensure accurate and consistent outcomes, which includesthe development of the laboratory’s quality managementsystem. Independent accreditation confirms their integrity,impartiality and competence for the specific activities theyperform.

Point of Care Testing (POCT)There is a growing emphasis on Point of Care Testing (POCT)as it is convenient and can deliver immediate results to thepatient in their time of need. With such a wide range oftests that are performed outside of the laboratory environment, it is essential that users of the service haveconfidence in the accuracy of results. Organisations thatperform POCT services in hospitals, clinics and within thecommunity are accredited against ISO 22870 Point of CareTesting: particular requirements for quality and competencein conjunction with ISO 15189. Accreditation by UKAS provides assurance in the validity of the test results takinginto account clinical context and patient safety.

Diagnostic Imaging (ISAS)Around 98% of people will receive some form of diagnosticimaging test during their lifetime. From X-Rays to MRI scans,effective, safe and high-quality imaging is central to mostclinical decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment. UKASaccreditation for the Imaging Services Accreditation Scheme(ISAS) ensures that high quality and consistent imaging services are delivered by competent staff working in safeenvironments.

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A number of stakeholders and third-party organisations have published information in support of UKAS accreditation for diagnostic services andthe benefits it can deliver, which you may find useful:

n NHS England, NHS Improvement, Care Quality Commission (CQC) Communication to Chief Executives and Medical Directors of all NHS Trusts, October 2018.

n Healthcare Science in NHS Wales, 2018

n NHS England’s position on accreditation schemes for diagnostic services. Statement published by Bruce Keogh, Medical Director, and Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer on behalf of NHS England, October 2016

n British Heart Rhythm Society (BHRS) Position Statement on IQIPS, February 2019.

n Lessons from Accredited Paediatric Audiology Services – Why Commission and Provide an IQIPS Accredited Service? Report published by National Deaf Children’s Society, November 2015.

n Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A framework for clinical commissioning groups. Guidance published by NHS England, July 2016.

n ARTP Official Position Statement on IQIPS Accreditation. Statement published by the Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology, November 2017.

n Guidelines for Professional Ultrasound Practice. Published by the Society and College ofRadiographers (SCoR), December 2016.

n Quality Imaging Services for Primary Care. Guidance published by the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Society and College of Radiographers and the Royal College of Radiologists, May 2013.

n Strategic Review of Cardiac Physiology Services in England. Report published by the Society for Cardiological Science and Technology (SCST) and the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS), May 2015.

n Management and use of IVD point of care test devices. Guidance published by the MHRA, December 2013.

n Commissioning for Quality. Briefing published by The Good Governance Institute in conjunction with the South London Commissioning Support Unit, May 2014.

Physiological Sciences (IQIPS)Around 85% of known physiological services across the UKhave registered in the Improving Quality in PhysiologicalServices (IQIPS) accreditation scheme. IQIPS is an assessmentand accreditation programme delivered by UKAS and is designed for eight physiological science disciplines; Audiology, Cardiac Physiology, Gastro-Intestinal Physiology,Neurophysiology, Ophthalmic and Vision Science, Respiratory and Sleep Physiology, Urodynamics and VascularScience. Covering such a wide repertoire of routine testing,UKAS accreditation ensures that a high-quality service isdelivered to all users and that test results can be reliedupon to support the patient’s pathway.

Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering (MPACE)Through diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, medicalphysics and clinical engineering directly impacts the majorityof patients and the care and treatment they receive. It istherefore essential that these services consistently deliverhigh quality care by maintaining the safety and the accuracy of equipment used and ensuring that proceduresare evidence based, safe and effective. UKAS, in conjunctionwith the Institute for Physics and Engineering in Medicine(IPEM) and NHS England, is currently developing MPACE accreditation for a number of specialisms in this area. Theoverall aim is to promote the delivery of quality servicesand outcomes in areas that include the correct diagnosisand safe treatment for illnesses and rehabilitation such ascancer and mobility. It also covers the commissioning,maintenance and innovation of medical equipment suchas External Beam Radiation equipment, Gamma Cameras,MRI and ultrasound scanners, X-ray machines, patient monitors and drug delivery systems.