United Kingdom National External

Merdol Ibrahim, Manager, United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service Immunocytochemistry In situ Hybridization, London, UK... 

A quality control programme is the procedure employed to ensure that the analysis continuously meets the goal for imprecision and accuracy. Several external quality control programmes exist for measurement of cobalamin, e.g. United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (www.ukneqas.org.uk). 

A pilot National External Quality Assurance Scheme was set up in the United Kingdom in 1996. In the light of poor overall performance highlighted by the scheme, recommendations have been made for a laxative screening service. ... 

Compliance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 2005 is essential if a laboratory is to become accredited for particular analytical procedures. External audit by a recognized national or international body is a prerequisite for this process. For example, in the United Kingdom, accreditation is awarded by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and in Canada by the Standards Council of Canada. The benefits of accreditation will be discussed in more detail below, but accreditation for a particular function by a recognized body means that the laboratory has been assessed against internationally recognized standards to demonstrate their competence, impartiality, and performance capability. 

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