biobanking • 2 mins read
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s (NHSGGC) Biorepository has become the first centre in the UK to achieve UKAS accreditation against the ISO 20387:2018 ‘general requirements for biobanking’ standard.
The Biorepository, based on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, stores and provides access to a wide range of human tissue for use in valuable medical research by doctors and scientists who are studying a range of diseases, including cancer, autoinflammatory diseases and Alzheimer’s. The team of 13, led by Biorepository Manager Clare Orange, handles around 90 requests for tissues per year, which come from academic and commercial researchers conducting medical research.
Clare explained that the UKAS accreditation acts as a marker for the Biorepository’s quality, governance and high standards. She said: “Biobanking is playing an increasingly pivotal role in a wide variety of scientific and medical research fields, where the quality, consistency and traceability of biological materials is paramount.
“I’m delighted that NHSGGC is the first organisation to receive UKAS accreditation for biobanking, reflecting the tremendous dedication and capability of the entire Biorepository team.
“This accreditation will help build confidence and provide assurance to researchers and commercial partnerships, and reinforces NHSGGC’s position as a centre of innovation in healthcare. It also epitomises our drive to lead the biobanking field and further enhances our reputation amongst our scientific and research colleagues, as well as our commitment to deliver high standards of patient care.”
Louise Sanders, Head of Development at UKAS, said: “ISO 20387 is the only holistic framework for assessing and maintaining consistent quality control and integrity in every aspect of biobanking, making it a critical benchmark for the scientific and medical research fields.
“Accreditation to ISO 20387 demonstrates the impartiality, operational competence and the embedding of best practices throughout biobanking operations. Not only does this give confidence to stakeholders and researchers in the quality, reliability and usability of biomedical materials, it makes an important contribution to the broader scientific and medical research communities.”
ISO 20387 is the first standard to comprehensively address specific biobanking challenges and requirements. It covers the collection, transportation, preparation, preservation and traceability of human, animal, plant, fungal and microorganism samples.
Accreditation against ISO 20387 rigorously assesses the quality management, technical competence and ethical considerations of biobanking organisations, as well as the associated security, risk and data management provisions.