UKAS

This week, members of the UKAS healthcare team have been attending the British Neuropathological Society (BNS) Annual Meeting, engaging with experts in the field and discussing the role of accreditation in healthcare. Laura Holland spoke at the event, highlighting the value of becoming a Contracted Assessor at UKAS, explaining how assessors contribute to maintaining high standards in pathology and laboratory accreditation, and how performing this activity alongside an existing role can enrich the experience of many healthcare professionals at all levels, up to and including consultants. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise and supporting quality in healthcare, find out more about becoming a UKAS Contracted Assessor here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4kZDHYz #UKAS #Accreditation #Healthcare #Pathology #Neuropathology #BNS2025 #QualityMatters

🤝 Strengthening international partnerships in accreditation 🌍   This week, Kayleigh Carr - our Academy Training and Assessment Manager, had the pleasure of welcoming Fahad Alanazi and Abdulaziz Alghamdi from the Saudi Accreditation Center (SAAC) on a study visit to a UKAS-accredited Inspection Body, DNV. The visit was an opportunity to deepen #collaboration between UKAS and SAAC, fostering shared learning and strengthening international #accreditation networks.   🔍 A huge thank you to DNV for their warm hospitality and for hosting the visit. Their support provided valuable insights for our guests and a chance for our team to observe an #inspection assessment in a new technical area.   👏 We also extend our appreciation to the assessment team – Charles Tuplin, Eddie Hammerton, and Ron Webb– for their time, expertise, and willingness to share their knowledge.   These knowledge exchanges play a vital role in advancing global accreditation practices and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with SAAC and future opportunities for collaboration.   #InternationalPartnerships #ProfessionalDevelopment

✅ An accreditation scheme is a structured framework that sets out the requirements for competence, impartiality, and performance of conformity assessment bodies. UKAS recognises and assesses these schemes to ensure they provide confidence in accredited services and meet the necessary standards. Maintaining rigorous scheme integrity is essential for ensuring that accredited services meet the required standards of quality and reliability. UKAS's ongoing scheme integrity process is dedicated to this principle, reinforcing the role of robust and trusted schemes as a cornerstone of trust in various industries. 📖 To learn more about the importance of scheme integrity in accreditation, read our latest article here: https://lnkd.in/eiyTfJ4x #Accreditation #SchemeIntegrity #UKAS #QualityAssurance

The UKAS Training Academy is here to help you strengthen your expertise in accreditation and conformity assessment – and we’re making it even easier to invest in your #ProfessionalDevelopment with our Spring Offer. 🔹 Get 10% off all courses running in January, February and March 📅 Book by 31 March 2025 to take advantage of this exclusive offer Our expert-led #training equips you with the knowledge and confidence to apply accreditation standards effectively. Whether you're new to #accreditation or looking to deepen your understanding, we have a course to suit your needs. 🔗 Find out more and book your place: https://lnkd.in/eemg3vgf #ISOTraining #LearningAndDevelopment

🚨 Expression of Interest - certification UKAS is seeking to establish interest from Certification Bodies with regards to a pilot accreditation project focusing on three standards: - BS 99001:2022 – Built Environment Quality Management Systems - ISO 37301:2021 – Compliance Management Systems - ISO 56001:2024 – Innovation Management Systems If your organisation is interested in these areas, we want to hear from you. Your input will help shape the potential development of accreditation for these standards. Find all the details and submit your interest to developmentenquiries@ukas.com by 30 June 2025. https://lnkd.in/e-KpfncC

We are proud to be the Gold Sponsor of the upcoming British Neuropathological Society (BNS) Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place from 29th–31st January at The View in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Highlights of the event include the Alfred Meyer Memorial Lecture by David Ellison on Wednesday, as well as a symposium focused on the fascinating theme of “Spatial Transcriptomics.” As part of our sponsorship, UKAS is also delighted to sponsor the lunch, supporting this vital gathering of leading professionals and researchers in neuropathology. Members of UKAS's Healthcare team will be attending the event to share insights about how #accreditation supports quality and patient care in the healthcare sector, and provide further information about working with UKAS as a Contracted Assessor. We look forward to connecting with attendees and sharing how accreditation supports confidence and quality in neuropathological services and beyond. #BNSMeeting #Neuropathology #LifeSciences

🚀 Unlock the power of digital tools in the TIC Sector 🌐   Join UKAS on 5th February at 09.00 GMT for our Digital Tools Unlocked Webinar, where we’ll be joined by industry-leading experts to explore how #digitalisation is transforming reporting and certificate production in the #TIC (Testing, Inspection, and Certification) sector. 🔍 Gain valuable insights into the latest digital initiatives and technology trends shaping the industry. Whether your organisation is just starting to explore digital tools or actively enhancing its reporting and certificate production, this webinar will provide actionable knowledge and inspiration. 💡 Meet the Speakers: - Sundeep Bhandari (National Physical Laboratory (NPL)) - The impact of digitalisation on Conformity Assessment Bodies and Digital Calibration Certificates - Georgia Alsop (UKAS) - Digitalisation of UKAS Accreditation Schedules - Bernie Fuller (Blockchain Verified) - Using blockchain to secure and verify reports and certificates - Susanne Kuch (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS)/QI-Digital) - Digital Seals and Digital Accreditation Symbols - Lee Brankley (UK CERTIFICATION AUTHORITY FOR REINFORCING STEELS - CARES) - Experiences from implementing digitally traceable certificates - Brett Hyland (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia NATA/UN-CEFACT) - The potential for digital exchange of product certification information 📅 Date: 5th February 2025 ⏰ Time: 09.00 GMT 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJ5GWmfx

While closely related, the terms "accreditation" and "certification" are distinct steps on the quality assurance ladder, and should not be used interchangeably as there are important differences between the two activities. #Certification is an audit of whether an organisation, a product or an individual conforms to criteria laid out in a recognised standard or a scheme. Where as... #Accreditation performs an oversight role that underpins the quality, impartiality and competence of a conformity assessment body and its processes. Find out more about the value of accredited certification on the UKAS website: https://lnkd.in/dgPJiCqG #AccreditedCertification #AccreditedConfidence

Is your organisation considering accreditation to ISO/IEC 17065 for the certification of products, processes or services? Find out how ready you are to proceed with accreditation with our free online tool! Our Readiness Self-assessment Tools are convenient online surveys that help identify gaps in processes and policies, which need to be addressed by conformity assessment bodies prior to full assessment. The results produced by these tools help to build a picture of the overall readiness of an organisation to proceed with accreditation. Use the Readiness Self-assessment tool here: https://lnkd.in/eXkqMnfP

UKAS was delighted to welcome a number of customers to our office today for a customer certificate presentation. Thank you to Diagnexia, HCA Healthcare UK, Health Services Laboratories, INHEALTH PATHOLOGY LIMITED and Pathology First LLP SYNLAB UK & Ireland, who all joined us from our healthcare section. It was also lovely to welcome the team behind the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Bio-Repository, the first biobanking service to achieve accreditation! As always, we enjoyed meeting our customers in person and this event was a great way to start 2025.