What is UKAS accreditation laboratory?
UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. We are appointed by government, to assess and accredit organisations that provide services including certification, testing, inspection and calibration.
How are laboratories accredited?
Upon satisfactory assessment and successful completion of proficiency testing (where applicable), the laboratory is issued a Certificate of Accreditation along with a Scope of Accreditation listing the test methods or calibration parameters that the laboratory is accredited to perform.
Does a laboratory have to be accredited?
The general requirements for laboratory competence are described in the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Recognition of such competence generally requires that laboratories obtain accreditation. Accreditation involves on-site and performance assessments as well as ongoing proficiency testing.
How do you get UKAS accredited?
- Familiarise yourself with the clauses in the relevant accreditation standard(s) which can be purchased from the British Standards Institute (BSI)
- Perform a gap analysis to see what you have in place and what needs addressing.
- Identify the relevant supporting UKAS Publications which will be required to gain accreditation.
What is the purpose of UKAS accreditation?
Delivering a world of confidence The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the national accreditation body for the United Kingdom, appointed by government, to assess organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.
Why is UKAS accreditation important?
UKAS ensure that certification bodies meet the ISO 17021 standard for conformity assessment. Companies that achieve UKAS accreditation should be shouting about it. The internationally-recognised accreditation gives your business a competitive advantage, opening access to new markets within the EU and beyond.
Why do laboratories need accreditation?
Why is laboratory accreditation needed? The reason for this is laboratory accreditation provides a 3rd party method of evaluating the technical competence of a calibration or testing laboratory, using internationally recognized processes and standards and experts in the appropriate technical field.
What is better accredited or certified?
Accreditation is generally considered to be a higher level of recognition than certification. In fact, it is common for certification bodies to hold some kind of accreditation as an attestation to their competency to perform their duties in the field of certification.
What are the benefits of laboratory accreditation?
Laboratory accreditation benefits laboratories by allowing them to determine whether they are performing their work correctly and to appropriate standards, and provides them with a benchmark for maintaining that competence.
What is the purpose of laboratory accreditation?
Is UKAS accreditation a legal requirement?
Does UKAS have a regulatory role? UKAS is not a regulator. It does not have any legal or regulatory enforcement powers. UKAS does however have an ‘oversight’ function and works to ensure that those organisations’ it accredits meet the applicable international accreditation standards.
How long is UKAS accreditation?
between 6-12 months
With this in mind, and, depending on the organisation being assessed we would say that the process could realistically take between 6-12 months from application to accreditation.
When did medical laboratories become accredited by UKAS?
Medical Laboratories Accreditation has been active in the medical laboratory sector since the 1990s. Prior to accreditation in the UK being awarded by UKAS and the transition to ISO 15189:2012, laboratories performing testing for the purpose of clinical diagnosis were accredited by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA).
What does the TAC do for UKAS accreditation?
The TAC advises UKAS on technical matters relating to the development and operation of UKAS accreditation activities for all areas of Medical Laboratory accreditation. In particular, to respond to the requirements of UKAS for advice on specific clinical and technical issues including:
Why is UKAS accreditation of imaging services important?
UKAS accreditation of imaging services is a patient-focused assessment that is designed to help diagnostic imaging services ensure that their patients consistently receive high quality services, delivered by competent staff working in safe environments.
What does UKAS stand for in medical category?
UKAS supports the delivery of quality physiological services based on a formal and impartial assurance process designed to deliver clearly defined and professionally led standards. Accreditation underpins the delivery of safe, accurate and expert procedures and practices relating to medical physics and clinical engineering.