Delivering patient safety

What are the UKAS accredited quality healthcare standards?
They are quality led diagnostic testing standards that have been developed by the professions to set out best practice. UKAS then manages and delivers these quality standards on their behalf.

UKAS recognises the importance of quality led healthcare to patients across the United Kingdom and is therefore actively building relationships with the NHS Trusts and private providers of diagnostic testing services to deliver a scheme to accredit Imaging Services, and the Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) Scheme throughout the UK.

The value of accreditation is supported by NHS England (NHSE), NHS Wales, NHS Scotland and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and is seen as an important mark of quality. UKAS is therefore working closely with them to inform them about the value that accreditation could bring to their organisations in delivering consistently high clinical care and diagnosis, with patient safety at its core.

The independent Regulator of health and social care in England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recognises the potential value of clinical service accreditation and peer-review schemes as information sources to support its inspections. Such schemes have the potential to provide useful intelligence and independent assurance that accredited services meet defined standards.

NHS England (NHSE) recognises the value of accreditation and has outlined its strong position towards the accreditation of diagnostic services by publishing a position statement in October 2016. In it, NHSE states that it remains committed to, and strongly endorses participation of diagnostic services in the UKAS accreditation programmes. A copy of the position statement can be viewed on the NHS England website.

So, as a patient visiting a hospital that has accreditation in place, you should be more confident and reassured of the clinical and patient care you will receive.

UKAS accreditation of medical laboratories extends across the UK, so patients can have extra assurance and confidence that their blood, urine and tissue tests are being verified by an independent, impartial third party organisation to ensure consistency and assurance of test results.

The provision of Point of Care Testing in the community is on the increase, whether patients receive this at their local doctor’s surgery where their Doctor may test a urine sample or test for glucose and cholesterol levels to Point of Care Testing in an emergency situation with on-site paramedics.

It’s important for you that you can have confidence that the tests being carried out are accurate to ensure the correct diagnosis is given. Although the uptake of POCT accreditation is currently low this is a growing area.

In line with current NHS and overall government healthcare objectives, UKAS is working with dental providers in the UK to ensure that patients receive consistently high standards and quality of care in dentistry. With this aim in mind the Excel programme, a quality assurance programme has been developed for dentists to help support clinical governance, professional regulation and excellence in patient care.

UKAS has been approached by NHS England (NHSE) and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), to develop a new accreditation standard which is aimed at driving up improvements in the standards of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering (MPACE). The overall aim of this new healthcare standard is to promote better delivery of quality services and outcomes in areas that include the correct diagnosis and safe treatment for illnesses such as cancer and stroke. It also covers the innovation of medical equipment such as MRI and ultrasound scanners, X-ray machines, patient monitors and drug delivery systems.

To date a number of major NHS Trust Teaching Hospitals, Centres of Excellence and Independent Healthcare Providers across the UK have achieved UKAS accreditation. To find one that is local to you visit Who’s Accredited

Throughout the UK Patient Group Representatives are being established across the GP networks with the aim of them being the spokespeople for patients within their local practice. Patients are encouraged to take more responsibility for their own health and that of their family, and to feel confident in raising any concerns and issues. The patient perspective is also seen as being very important in any commissioning decisions that are undertaken on a local, regional and national level.

So you may like to ask your Practice Manager or your Doctor for more information or you can contact us to find out more, simply contact us.

We are always keen to speak to people who are interested in becoming a UKAS Lay/Patient Assessor. Ideally you will be a graduate with experience of health care tests or investigations and/or be a member of a local or national Lay/Patient representative organisation. You can find out more here.