Update. Three Diagnostic Imaging Services Awarded ISAS Pages Montenegro hosts the EA General Assembly

Transcription

1 Update March 2011 Issue 60 United Kingdom Accreditation Service Newsletter Three Diagnostic Imaging Services Awarded ISAS Pages 8-10 Montenegro hosts the EA General Assembly page 02 Think Tank 2010 Less government better outcomes? page 04 Accreditation for Crime Scene Investigation page 11

2 Montenegro hosts the EA General Assembly The 26th General Assembly of the European cooperation for Accreditation was held in Budva, Montenegro on 24 and 25 November Montenegro is now an official candidate country of the European Union and its accreditation body, ATCG, will be eligible to become an Associate Member of EA during The meeting was formally opened by the then Minister of Economy of Montenegro, Mr Branko Vujovic. UKAS Chief Executive Paul Stennett participated on behalf of UKAS. The General Assembly discussed a wide range of topics that are important for the continued growth and development of EA as the official accreditation infrastructure in Europe. A revision of the Articles of Association and Rules of Procedure was agreed, to build upon an earlier revision completed in December The General Assembly discussed the outline EA Strategy for the years , and mandated the Executive Committee to implement the proposals taking into account the various comments made at the meeting. It was agreed to sign a Framework Partnership Agreement and Operating Grant Agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In order to support both this and the parallel agreements with the European Commission, internal processes and procedures of EA were also agreed. The General Assembly resolved that ISO (Greenhouse gases Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition) is identified as a new standard within the EA Multilateral Agreement and that the EA Horizontal Harmonisation Committee and the EA Multilateral Agreement Council start work as necessary to include the new activity and to prepare for the peer-evaluation process. Budva old town The Members of EA also considered the outcomes of the recent ILAC and IAF General Assemblies, and where necessary, passed resolutions to reinforce the implementation of these within the European accreditation region. Of particular note were the IAF Resolutions (IAF/ISO Joint Communiqué on Expected Outcomes for Accredited Certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) and (IAF/ISO Joint Communiqué on Certification to ISO 26000). The General Assembly also noted the resolutions of ILAC and IAF that agree that the responsibility for the scope of inspection be transferred from a joint IAF/ILAC activity to ILAC alone. Other topics considered by the General Assembly included: A Contract of Cooperation was signed with the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It was noted that it is planned to relocate the EA Secretariat s office in Paris in early Proposals to revise EA documents EA-3/01: Conditions for Use of Accreditation Symbols and Reference to MLA Signatory Status, and EA-2/05: The Scope of Accreditation and Consideration of Methods and Criteria for the Assessment of the Scope in Testing, were approved. The General Assembly endorsed a new work item to prepare a guidance document on Witnessing Practices for Management System Certification. The next meeting of the EA General Assembly will be held in Berlin in May Update March

3 UKAS Director recognised in New Year Honours List Dr Jane Beaumont MBE Dr Jane Beaumont, Director of Accreditation at UKAS, has been appointed as MBE in the New Year Honours list. The citation for the award, for services to industry, recognises the enthusiasm, determination and technical ability that Jane has brought to UKAS and its predecessor organisations. It mentions in particular that Jane has been at the forefront of developing innovative uses for accreditation, particularly in support of Government and the wider public sector, such as healthcare, the national DNA database and forensic science. On hearing news of her award, Jane said: I am delighted and privileged to receive this award. It is a recognition of the hard work and commitment of all UKAS staff in delivering the UK s national accreditation service. Accreditation is an increasingly important part of the business support infrastructure in the UK, helping to deliver confidence in goods and services. This award also acknowledges the growing influence and recognition of accreditation across all industry and business sectors as well as in many other aspects of everyday life. Jane began her career working as a food analyst, before conducting doctoral and post-doctoral research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Kings College, London. She joined one of UKAS predecessor organisations as Technical Officer in Since then Jane has progressed to fulfilling the role of Director of Accreditation with overall responsibility for the delivery of established accreditation services and the development of new areas of accreditation. She has provided advice and training to emerging accreditation bodies overseas, as well as contributing to the development of European and international guidance on accreditation approaches in different technical areas. Jane was appointed Director of Accreditation in 2005 and is an Executive member of the UKAS Board. Lord Lindsay, UKAS Chairman said I am delighted that Jane s sterling work in helping to develop accreditation both in the UK and abroad has been recognised. UKAS as a whole can also take pride in this award, as it reflects what has been achieved by staff at all levels and on all fronts. Technical Advisory Committees for Management System Certification UKAS has decided to review the Advisory Committees that exist to support the accreditation activities in the area of Management System Certification. As a result the decision has been taken to dissolve the existing committees for QMS and EMS, QMSAC and EMSAC, and replace them with a single technical advisory committee to support the accreditation of management system certification bodies. The scope of the new committee will be broader and will cover all the activities that are accredited under ISO/IEC The committee will also establish specific task groups and sub committees where necessary to support specific management system areas where there is a need to focus on issues unique to that particular area of management system certification, for example EMS and EMAS. The new Technical Advisory Committee will be established in accordance with UKAS procedures and UKAS will ensure that we have adequate technical expertise within the group as well as a balanced representation of interested parties. We are currently in the process of drafting the Terms of Reference for the Committee and determining the membership. Further information will be available on the UKAS website over the coming months. Update March

4 2010 Think Tank Less government better outcomes? Lord Lindsay, UKAS Chairman, posed this question at a recent UKAS Think Tank event that considered the likely impact of the coalition Government s interest in de-centralisation and reducing regulation. At the event, attended by an invited audience of senior government and business contacts, three keynote speakers were asked to consider how the spending review and related issues of reducing regulation and bureaucracy might lead to the greater use of alternative measures such as accreditation, inspection and certification. The challenge of change Kate Marshall, Deputy Director, Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office, focused on the challenge that government faces when tackling pressing policy issues, and how few can be addressed without thinking about the behaviour of individuals. Behavioural economics and behavioural science had provided valuable insights into why individuals don t always behave as perfectly rational human beings. Marshall invited the audience to consider how difficult it sometimes is to achieve a seemingly simple and ultimately beneficial personal goal, like increasing our savings, or keeping up a fitness regime. Marshall said Governments often consider regulation when the long-term wellbeing of individuals or the wider community could be at risk. In responding to these situations, she confirmed the Coalition s desire to develop policies that were less intrusive and imposed fewer costs on both business and society. Understanding how people behave and make decisions, and finding innovative ways to help nudge individuals into making better, more informed choices were at the heart of the Government s policy agenda. Devolved power: the need for specific limits and clear accountability Lord Bichard, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, drew upon his experience in local and central government to focus on the need for intelligent solutions. In particular he was concerned about the risks that overly detailed and prescriptive targets can represent but he also highlighted the need to pass responsibility out from the centre and away from specialist silos. He saw successful government as one that is focused on outcomes rather than inputs and one that ensures accountability is spread logically. He emphasised the need to redesign the service not the structure. He speculated that less government is successful when it recognises the benefits of early intervention and prevention, and places the responsibility for this close to the coal face. Transformational rather than transactional change The final presentation from Sarah Veale, Head of Equality and Employment Rights at the TUC, came to a similar conclusion to the previous speakers, but from a slightly different view point. Focusing on the needs of employees and consumers as the potential beneficiaries of less government she started by highlighting the risks this may represent particularly the laws of unexpected consequences. Regulation can be removed, but only where there is an alternative solution and good buy-in from the relevant parties. The most successful route to lessening government is to encourage and set regulations that are led and implemented from the grass roots up. The one in, one out approach was discussed as an opportunity to reduce poorly functioning and unnecessary regulations. The speaker liked the concept but highlighted the difficulty in achieving this, asking whether the kudos of removing legislation becomes as recognised as that of 04 Update March

5 Kate Marshall Lord Bichard Sarah Veale Lord Lindsay making it. There would also need to be a clear measurement by which the replacement is marked against the outgoing regulation, in order to ensure it is better. The same system of measurement is needed to ensure the strategies being considered as an alternative to regulation are actually an improvement. The use of accreditation and standards has proved effective, but they are not suitable for every area. In promoting alternatives to regulation, it is vital to ensure that one onerous mechanism is not simply replaced by another. The influence of the media Key points raised in the open discussion highlighted the role of the media in influencing judgement, both for and against regulation. Illustrations of this were the typical labelling of new regulations as nanny state, compared with campaigns for action when things go wrong such as the demand for the regulation of dangerous dogs. The consensus was that government should have a tool kit of approaches which should be used in consultation with all interested parties. Summary Summing up the debate, Lord Lindsay concluded that there was general agreement that better outcomes can be achieved with less government intervention provided that care is taken over what fills the void. A menu or package approach that matches the right solution to the problem should be the preferred route with standards and accreditation being considered as a valuable part of this multi-layered approach. He thought there was a clear message that the outcome or value of a proposed solution should be the over-riding focus, rather than the process involved in implementing it. But also an understanding that, if the right balance can be achieved, it will be to the benefit of Government, business and society as a whole. Lord Lindsay went on to assure those present that UKAS would continue to discuss with a wide range of government contacts how accreditation could make a greater contribution to the delivery of policy in these straightened times. He was encouraged that departments and agencies were increasingly turning to UKAS for help with a number of new policy initiatives. UKAS Think Tanks are organised, with the support of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, as part of the Accreditation Awareness Campaign. Update March

6 Global launch of IAF End User Survey The need for the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to gain feedback from users of accredited services has been a long-standing issue for the IAF, and so a task force within the IAF Communications & Marketing Committee (CMC) was set up to launch an online survey. The survey aims to provide valuable insight into the drivers for certification, the importance of accreditation, and the value of the (Multilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangement) MLA. The survey was launched in over 55 countries by Graham Talbot, Chair of the IAF CMC, at the Joint General Assembly in Shanghai on October 28. Accreditation Bodies have been sent a link to the survey together with instructions for promoting it in the local economy, including a letter template to send to Certification Bodies to encourage onward distribution. The survey will be promoted on the (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) ILAC, IAF and Regions websites, and ISO CASCO has also agreed to promote it. If you would like to complete the survey please click on the link iafcertification.sgizmo.com The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete and your feedback is gratefully received. For further information, please contact Jon Murthy, IAF CMC Secretary (jon.murthy@ukas.com). The survey will last for one year (closing 1 September 2011) and the results will be presented during the annual ILAC and IAF meetings to be held in Bangkok in November Update March

7 The European Parliament building Brussels Changes to the Assessment of Notified Bodies For some time UKAS has acted on behalf of various UK Government Departments/ Agencies and other Authorities in the assessment of organisations wishing to be appointed as Notified Bodies for conformity assessment activities for many of the EU New Approach Directives. In response to a EU decision on a common framework for this marketing of products, a project is now underway to change the way in which such Notified Bodies are assessed for their conformity assessment activities. In future, conformity assessment bodies that wish to become Notified bodies will, in general, need to be accredited in accordance with the relevant ISO/IEC or EN 4500 services standard and other Normative and Guidance documents; this represents a significant change in the process of appointing Notified Bodies and will help ensure an ongoing consistent and common approach across all Member States. UKAS has established a Steering Group for the project, involving, Competent Authorities and Notified Body representatives to implement and control this change over a two year transition period. The Steering Group is considering various aspects including the allocation of Accreditation Standards to each EU Directive, and the process for recommending and approving appointments. This change is taking place across Europe and UKAS has recognised the need to ensure that the approach taken in the UK is equivalent to that used in other EU member states and ongoing communication is included within the transition programme. For further information please contact Kevin Belson, Technical Manager (kevin.belson@ukas.com). Update March

8 Three Diagnostic Imagin UKAS is delighted by the success of three very different diagnostic imaging s The Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund (Cheltenham Imaging Centre), 4 Ways H were all successfully able to demonstrate to UKAS assessment teams conform were formally presented with their ISAS certificates at separate presentation The Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund (Cheltenham Imaging Centre) became the very first diagnostic imaging service provider to be accredited by UKAS against the ISAS Standard in early November The medical charity has over 40 years experience delivering imaging services to NHS, private, and medical insurance clients. Cobalt successfully achieved their accreditation one year on from formally applying for ISAS. The accreditation covers imaging activities delivered at the Cheltenham site and also mobile units. In recommending Cobalt s accreditation, the assessment team commended Cobalt for employing the very latest state of the art technology and excellent facilities. During the assessment members of the local community described Cobalt s staff as passionate, enthusiastic and approachable and were very appreciative of the excellent resources available to them locally. At a special ceremony held at Cobalt s site in Cheltenham last year Lord Jamie Lindsay, UKAS Chairman, said: UKAS is delighted to participate in this event which acknowledges the tremendous efforts made by all parties to achieve the first UKAS accreditation to the ISAS Standard. By participating in the accreditation process, Cobalt has not only shown its willingness to be open and transparent, but also that it is constantly working to develop and Lord Lindsay, UKAS Chairman, presents the accreditation certificate to Peter Sharpe, Chief Executive, Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund improve both clinical and patientrelated outcomes. Peter Sharpe, Chief Executive, Cobalt on accepting the Service s certificate said: This is a very proud moment for all of us at Cobalt. Staff worked hard to achieve the ISAS accreditation, the process has been rigorous and challenging; it has helped us develop and improve services and also put in place a system for continual review and development. It is with great pleasure that we accept the ISAS Accreditation Certificate. We are also delighted to be the first ISAS accredited organisation, confirming that we provide a patient focused safe and efficient diagnostic imaging service. In attendance at the ceremony were principal attendees from the owners of ISAS, The College of Radiographers (CoR) and The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the wider healthcare sector, dignitaries from Cobalt s local community, and UKAS. During a series of speeches, Dr Jane Barrett, RCR President commented on the future for ISAS accreditation, said: We congratulate Cobalt on its accreditation. We look forward to the accreditation of further diagnostic imaging services across the UK, highlighting radiology as a specialty leading on the highest standards of service provision and a real focus on quality improvement. 08 Update March

9 g Services Awarded ISAS ervice providers that have achieved UKAS accreditation to the ISAS Standard. ealthcare Ltd and The Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust ity to the rigorous requirements of the ISAS Standard. All three organisations s to celebrate their achievements. Highlighting the increasing importance of accreditation in a changing health environment, Professor Audrey Patterson, SCoR Director of Professional Policy said. It is great to see the first ever accreditation under ISAS. In the context of changes in commissioning of health care in England and of continuing scrutiny of quality care in all parts of the UK, it is more than ever appropriate that diagnostic imaging services are able to objectively demonstrate high standards of delivery. The core involvement of patients in the ISAS accreditation process adds even greater value to Cobalt s achievement. Paul Stennett, UKAS Chief Executive, presents the accreditation certificate to Dr Sanjiv Agarwal, Chief Executive, 4 Ways Healthcare seen here with Winifred Morley, Quality Manager, 4 Ways Healthcare Paul Stennett, Chief Executive, UKAS presented Dr Sanjiv Agarwal, Chief Executive, 4 Ways Healthcare Ltd and the team, the organisation s certificate at their headquarter site in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. 4 Ways Healthcare is a medically led specialist diagnostic reporting service currently working with more than 50 NHS organisations within primary and secondary care, delivering more than 100,000 reports in The accreditation covers the reporting activities delivered from their headquarter site. The assessment team commended the organisation for their rapid turn-around times, sub-speciality reporting and rigorous quality assurance. On receiving the organisation s certificate Dr Sanjiv Agarwal, Chief Executive, 4 Ways Healthcare, said: I am exceptionally proud in achieving this accreditation and believe it is testament to the hard work and diligence of our team. We have always shown a commitment to achieving the highest quality of radiology reporting; our clinical governance and rigorous recruitment process are central to this commitment. Preparation for the ISAS assessment helped our organisation step back and look at our processes objectively, subjecting them to increased scrutiny. We feel that positive improvements have been made to our internal processes and service provision by taking part in the assessment and aligning our processes and policies with the ISAS Standard. Now we have been accredited against the ISAS Standard, we have a high degree of confidence that we will comply with all other regulatory requirements, including The Care Quality Commissions requirements. Continued on page 10 Update March

10 Three Diagnostic Imaging Services Awarded ISAS continued The Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust became the first NHS provider, and early implementer site to be accredited against the ISAS Standard. Dr Kane, Consultant in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust accepted the certificate from Paul Stennett, Chief Executive, UKAS, the CoR and the RCR at the RCR s headquarters in London. The organisation has a staffing complement of about 4,500 serving a population of approximately 330,000 residents across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre and almost 12 million holidaymakers who visit the area every year. The accreditation covers a range of services: computerised tomography; magnetic resonance imaging; mammography; PACS, radiography; radiology nursing; teleradiology; therapeutic radiology procedures, and ultrasound delivered across the Trusts five sites: Blackpool Victoria Hospital; Fleetwood Hospital; Clifton Hospital; Whitegate Health Centre; and Lytham Primary Care Centre. In recommending the accreditation the assessment team commended the Trust on its proactive approach to service improvements highlighting a range of good practice in service delivery, innovative skills mix and high levels of implementation of staff appraisals. On hearing the news of their award, Dr Graham Hoadley, Consultant Radiologist and National Clinical Lead for Service Improvement, said: "We are so pleased at receiving this ISAS accreditation and particularly proud to be the first radiology/diagnostic imaging service to do so within the NHS. This confirms the high standards of care delivered by our team. We have a long history of effective service improvements Dr Tony Nicholson, Vice-President & Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Radiology, RCR; Dr Kane, Consultant in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Richard Evans, CEO, SCoR and Paul Stennett, UKAS Chief Executive in radiology/diagnostic imaging and this is a well deserved reward for all our efforts. We are passionate about giving our patients peace of mind when making use of our services, and we believe that with this accreditation we can now demonstrate this commitment better than ever." Dr Tony Nicholson, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Radiology, RCR commented: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust can be very proud of being at the forefront of accreditation. Patients can be very sure that when they enter the radiology/ diagnostic imaging departments in Blackpool they will receive a safe first class service. Richard Evans, Chief Executive, SCoR added: This accreditation recognises not only a great deal of work but also many years of commitment by the whole team towards developing and promoting quality diagnostic imaging services. It is particularly timely for the first NHS based service to gain accreditation. As the pathfinder GP commissioning consortia begin to explore how to obtain the best services for patients, Trusts such as Blackpool that can demonstrate objective quality measures should be obvious choices for commissioners and patients alike. Accreditation of these three very different diagnostic imaging service providers demonstrates the flexibility of the ISAS Standard to objectively assess good practice, and that different organisations are able to deliver high quality patient focused care and continuous improvement. Since ISAS launch in June 2009 many imaging services, both public and private, have applied for assessment, and we are pleased to report further organisations are in the application process. For further information about the accredited imaging services and about ISAS visit: 10 Update March

11 Accreditation for Crime Scene Investigation To progress accreditation in the crime scene investigation area, UKAS, together with other key stakeholders, has developed a project plan to identify the internal and external arrangements necessary to facilitate the assessment and accreditation of applicant inspection bodies to ISO/IEC UKAS is running a pilot programme with selected applicants to testout the assessment methodologies during the pilot phase. This will permit development of the scheme on an ongoing basis. Once finalised, the assessment methodologies will then be applied in a similar manner to all other bodies subsequently seeking accreditation in this area. The pilot bodies will be subject to the same rigorous assessments as for all UKAS assessment activities, but there may be a requirement for additional assessment effort within the pilot if identified as essential to ensure a robust assessment process and an accredited inspection service that satisfies the demanding requirements placed upon it by the UK s criminal justice system. All pilot bodies fully satisfying the pilot and accreditation criteria will be granted accreditation on the same date. Accreditation demonstrates the technical competence and the impartiality and integrity of the organisations offering scene of crime investigation services. UKAS accreditation offers transparent solutions that deliver: Public trust: confidence that forensic and forensic related activities are carried out impartially and competently. One stop shop: accreditation has a broad application across the Home Office, the Police service and Government as a whole, covering multiple sectors and multiple disciplines in a consistent way. Cost reduction: organisations operating efficiently and effectively with oversight by UKAS, reduce the need for regulators or organisations to establish their own assessment and approval activities. For further information on the pilot scheme please visit: news/news-archive/2010/iso_iec _17020_for_Crime_Scene_ Investigation.asp Accreditation has underpinned quality assurance of forensic analysis for almost 20 years, ensuring confidence of analysis of samples and results produced in the laboratory. However, until now the examination of, and collection of materials from crime scenes has not been covered by accreditation. Accredited examination and collection of materials from crime scenes will provide additional confidence in the integrity and chain of custody of the materials being collected. Update March

12 UKAS Brochures UKAS is recognised in many sectors ranging from Asbestos, Chemicals, Explosives, Food, Forensics, Healthcare, Toys to Water. To help UKAS emphasise the importance of accreditation and enhance the awareness of accreditation in different sectors, UKAS has developed a wide range of brochures. All these brochures are available to download in PDF from the UKAS website A high resolution print PDF can be requested by to communications@ukas.com The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) The United Kingdom Accreditation Service Why we matter What we do Who we are UKAS-accredited services a guide for small to medium businesses Do you use certification, testing, calibration or inspection services? If so save time and money by using UKAS-accredited services Who is doing your calibration work? Are you confident that your goods and services and their component parts are based on measurements taken with correctly calibrated measuring equipment? UKAS Corporate brochure Guide for small to medium businesses Calibration services UKAS Accreditation A BRIEFING FOR COMMISSIONERS OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES Accreditation: Underpinning Quality Healthcare Commissioning The need to drive up the quality of care for patients, whilst delivering efficiency and productivity, is a key principle for commissioners of healthcare services. UKAS accreditation is a tool that can be used to support the commissioning of healthcare services that are safe, effective and that continually improve the experience for patients. The influence and use of UKAS accreditation recognised standards. In response to a continues to grow across a wide range of new European Regulation (Regulation areas to support the delivery of informed EC 765/2008), UKAS has been formally and effective purchasing, good governance appointed as the National Accreditation and public confidence. As pressure on Body providing for the first time, a legal finances continues to build, accreditation basis for accreditation. is increasingly being seen as an effective way for purchasers to deliver more for less. UKAS is becoming increasingly active in the Healthcare sector. Details of areas The United Kingdom Accreditation Service supported by UKAS accreditation are given (UKAS), as the national accreditation body, in this briefing. When commissioning is the only body recognised by Government, services in these areas, be sure to specify to assess and declare the competence of UKAS-accredited services. organisations against internationally Accreditation is absolutely essential to ensure quality of supply Lord Carter of Coles, Chair, The Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services Accreditation in action: Accreditation in action: Diagnostic Imaging Health information standard Deli ve rin ing Con fidence UKAS has been appointed by the College of Radiographers and the Royal College of Radiologists to manage and deliver a UK-wide imaging services accreditation scheme (ISAS). Under the scheme, jointly developed by the Colleges in collaboration with other health professionals and patients representatives, imaging services are assessed against agreed standards for quality, patientfocused care and continuous improvement. The scheme focuses on the delivery of high quality care for patients by professional staff working in a safe environment. The process of accreditation involves peer review against agreed standards and criteria supported by expert specialist advice and input from patient representatives. UKAS accreditation provides confidence in the quality and consistency of the imaging services delivered across the health sector. UKAS has developed accreditation for certification to the new Department of Health Information Standards. The standard sets down criteria for organisations providing written or scripted medical based patient information. Many different kinds of organisations produce health and social care information, for a wide range of communities. This standard has been developed to provide reassurance that the health and social care information they access comes from a reliable source. It has also been designed to raise the general standard of information provided. Once an organisation has been assessed and certified against the Information Standard by a UKAS accredited certification body, the organisation will be able to display the Information Standard Quality Mark on their information materials so people searching for health and social care information can easily identify it as coming from a reliable, trustworthy source. Imaging Services Accreditation Scheme Healthcare commissioning 12 Update March

13 Who should you commission to carry out your surveys for asbestos? Stack Emissions Monitoring Who can you trust? Do your inspection services meet your requirements? There are many companies that provide consultancy and surveying services, sometimes at what initially appears to be at low cost. However, before commissioning an organisation to undertake such work it is important to consider the risks: Are you confident that the organisation has the technical competence to undertake the work in question? Are you satisfied that the organisation has the resources to do the work? Are the surveyors working to suitable codes of conduct to ensure inspections are carried out impartially and with integrity? Are you confident that the organisation has an adequate quality system in place? Are you satisfied that safeguards are in place, e.g. suitable liability insurance, in case difficulties arise? The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006) and more specifically Regulation 4: The HSE is responsible for enforcing compliance with the regulations and penalties are awarded to persons who fail to ensure the safety of their staff and others present on site. Selecting an organisation accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) will ensure that you are appointing a competent surveying organisation that will understand and meet your requirements. Accreditation: Ensuring technical competence The accreditation process determines the technical competence and integrity of organisations providing inspection, testing, calibration and certification services. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body, recognised by Government, to assess these types of organisations against international standards. It provides an independent and authoritative declaration that the organisation carrying out the survey has the people, facilities, technical expertise, management systems and track record to undertake the activity professionally and competently. HSE strongly recommends the use of an accredited surveyor. As anoperatorwithapermitfromtheenvironment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR), you will be aware that it requires you to ensure the monitoringofprocessemissionsisperformedcorrectly toensureyouremissionsarewithinthepermittedlimits. Wherethirdpartyorganisationsareusedtoconductthis monitoring, it is an Environment Agency requirement that the organisation holds accreditation to ISO/IEC for MCERTS for the monitoring being performed. What does MCERTS and ISO/IEC Accreditation mean? Many organisations provide stack emissions monitoring services. Selecting a company accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for MCERTS is the best way to ensure you use a competent organisation that will both understand and meet not only your requirements but also those of the Environment Agency. UKAS, on behalf of the Environment Agency, assesses and accredits organisations to the Accreditation to ISO/IEC for MCERTS provides an independent and authoritative declaration that the organisation carrying out the emissions monitoring has the people, facilities, equipment, technical expertise, management systems and track record to undertake the activity professionally and competently. If a stack emissions monitoring organisation who is accredited to ISO/IEC for MCERTS fails to meet these standards, then UKAS can impose sanctions on that imposed on stack emissions monitoring organisations can be found on their accreditation schedules at This information stays on the accreditation schedule for two years from date of clearance of the sanction. Do you commission or procure the inspection of products, equipment, plants or buildings and processes? If you do, you will want to make sure that the organisation undertaking that inspection has the people, facilities, technical expertise, management systems and track record to undertake the inspection professionally and competently. The competence of the inspection Service (UKAS) is the sole accreditation body you appoint may be crucial to body recognised by Government to maintaining your reputation as a assess, against internationally responsible organisation. It is recognised standards, organisations therefore surprising that organisations that provide inspection services. are still tempted to use the service of UKAS combines a depth of technical inspection bodies whose competence knowledge and expertise built up has not been confirmed by an over many years with scientific and independent, authoritative third party. technical specialists operating across The United Kingdom Accreditation a range of inspection activities. What are your inspection needs? There are well over 250 UKAS accredited Typically, inspections will cover product inspection bodies in the UK mainly in the design, products, materials and equipment, following broad sectors: Engineering, installations, plant, processes and services. Food and Asbestos. So whatever your Some of these areas will be covered by inspection needs are in these areas, there legislation that demands regular inspection is more than likely a UKAS inspection body is undertaken, for example in the areas of: accredited to the international standard Lifts and Cranes ISO/IEC qualified to do the job. Hoists Machinery Pressure systems Electrical installations Escalators Non destructive testing Ventilation equipment Pre-shipment inspection Petroleum tanks Duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic Agency s MCERTS (monitoring certification organisation. Sanctions include; additional properties sets a legal requirement for owners and occupiers of non-domestic buildings to carry out a suitable assessment to determine whether asbestos is present or liable to be present. scheme) performance standard. UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC for MCERTS is a mandatory requirement for any organisation performing monitoring of a Part A1 site. assessment, partial or total suspension or in the most severe cases a total withdrawal of accreditation. Since 1st June 2009 details of any sanctions For further information visit and For further information visit and For further information visit Asbestos surveys Stack Emissions Monitoring Inspection services UKAS Accreditation: a tool to deliver effective Local Authority services A BRIEFING FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY HEADS OF SERVICE Accreditation can and does help to deliver public services in a changing regulatory environment UKAS accreditation interacts with Local Authorities on many levels: Assurance of the Assurance in the Assurance in the Authority s own products and services products and services activities you procure you specify The Authority may have Products and services As a specifier, you will an accredited in-house that you procure will contract suppliers that facility such as a be sourced from are UKAS-accredited laboratory or inspection UKAS-accredited (e.g. planning and body. The Authority may laboratories or inspection building control, also hold UKASaccredited certification that hold accredited monitoring, asbestos bodies, or from suppliers environmental to demonstrate certification testing and compliance to a quality (QMS, Personnel etc). surveying etc). management system (QMS) or environmental management system (EMS). The accreditation process determines the technical competence and integrity of organisations offering testing, inspection, calibration and certification services. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the only national accreditation body recognised by Government to assess these types of organisation against internationally-recognised standards and it does so across all market sectors by offering a single, transparent and repeatable approach which: supports Local Authority enforcement and monitoring builds business and consumer confidence by reducing risk reduces the need for Local Authorities to employ their own additional specialist assessment personnel It is important to specify the appropriate requirements on suppliers according to the type of work required. For example, you can be confident in the technical competence and the results produced by testing and calibration laboratories if they hold UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC UKAS accredited certification of a supplier s management system to ISO 9001 tells you that they have arrangements for managing the quality of their product or service, but doesn't say anything about their technical competence. Accreditation in action Ensuring food safety Accreditation plays a vital role in allowing us to deliver safe food and the healthier eating approaches that consumers want. UKAS provides the solid foundation of assurance on which we can rely in order to make good decisions particularly in the area of enforcement. Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair Food Standards Agency Information security In addition to having accredited certification to ISO 9001:2000, Birmingham City Council achieved UKAS accredited certification to the information security standard ISO in December This has enabled the Council to demonstrate credibility and confidence to its customers, whilst reducing the risk of information breaches. Independent third party assessment by a UKAS-accredited organisation underpins the Council's ability to achieve high standards of service delivery and corporate governance. Birmingham City Council Accreditation Matters A BRIEFING FOR POLICY MAKERS Issue 7 Accreditation: Strengthening links with Government The United Kingdom Accreditation Service has been formally appointed as the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom, following the adoption of a new EU Regulation. The new Regulation (EC Regulation 765/2008), The new Regulation is intended to improve the which came into force on 1 January 2010, requires consistency of accreditation services across each member state to appoint a single national Europe by setting common requirements for accreditation body. UKAS has therefore been national accreditation bodies and requiring them appointed by statutory instrument providing, to be monitored by member state governments. for the first time, a legal basis for its role. The Regulation includes requirements relating to independence, impartiality and technical The Accreditation Regulations 2009 (Statutory competen ce. The Regulation also Instrument No 3155/2009) making the requires national accreditation bodies to operate on a not for profit basis and not to com- appointment were signed on 30 November 2009 by Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and pete with other national accreditation bodies. Innovation, and announced in a Written Statement to Parliament. In the statement, In support of the statutory appointment, BIS Lord Drayson said: The Department for and UKAS have agreed a revised Memorandum Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has a longstanding and effective relationship with UKAS how the two organisations will work together of Understanding to provide further detail on that both parties value highly. We will continue to ensure that the accreditation system in the to work together not only to ensure that the UK continues t meet the requirements of the requirements of the EC Regulation are fulfilled new Regulation and the needs of business and but to improve the quality and breadth of society. accreditation in the UK. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - UKAS' partner in Government. Accreditation: Helping Government achieve more for less The influence and use of accreditation ontinues to grow across a wide range of Government policy areas including effective regulation, good governance, fair markets, public confidence and delivering more for less. Accreditation is being used by Government in a number of new areas such as healthcare and climate change (see case studies). As pressure on Government finances continues to build, accreditation is increasingly being seen as a market led solution to public sector imperatives. The accreditation process determines, in the public interest, the technical competence and integrity of organisations offering testing, inspection, calibration and certification services (collectively known as evaluation services or conformity assessment services). As the national accreditation body, UKAS is the only body recognised by Government to assess these types of organisations against internationally recognised standards and it does so across all market sectors by offering a single, transparent and repeatable approach which: builds business and consumer confidence; is voluntarily embraced by business; enables innovation in the private and public sectors; reduces the need for central and local government to employ its own specialist assessment personnel. If you are responsible for setting or implementing policies that involve any form of independent evaluation, UKAS can help in a number of ways including defining your needs or designing an assessment or accreditation service to suit your needs. Accreditation: A tool to support the criminal justice system The accreditation process determines, in the public interest, the technical competence and integrity of organisations offering testing, inspection, calibration and certification services. UKAS is the only nationalaccreditationbodyrecognisedbygovernmenttoassessthesetypesoforganisationagainst internationallyrecognisedstandards. Confidence in Forensic Services Thereareanumberofthirdpartyassessment services available that can assist in providing confidence in activities that support the criminal justice system so it is important to choose the right one to get the right level of confidence. Accreditation Accreditation is the only mechanism that determines the technical competence and integrity of the organisations offering forensic testing and inspection services. ISO/IEC and ISO/IEC not only contain requirements for the quality management system of the organisation but they also include detailed and specific technical criteria for the operation of the technical service including ensuring the competence of personnel. Management System Certification ISO9001:2000isagenericstandardforquality management systems applicable to all organisations irrespective of type, size or product or serviceprovided.itcanbeapplicableto organisations that provide forensic services but certification against ISO 9001:2000 should not be interpreted to mean that an organisation has demonstrated the technical competence to produce valid and accurate information and results. This is becausewithcertificationtoiso9001:2000the emphasis is on establishing an organisation s compliance with requirements for a quality management system. It does not contain technical requirements for personnel and operations. Personnel Certification Personnel certification (or registration) schemes do exist to provide confidence in the competence of individuals. The standards and criteria used to assess competence of personnel vary according to the scheme provider. These schemes focus on individuals competence but do not provide any assessment of the organisation within which the individual operates. Where this service is used it is essentialthatusershaveconfidenceinthe competence of the organisation that provides certification of individuals; this can be delivered by using an accredited Certification Body. Benefits of accreditation UKAS accreditation offers transparent solutions that deliver: Public trust: confidence that forensic activities are carried out impartially and competently. One stop shop: accreditation has a broad application across the Home Office, the Police service and Government as a whole, covering multiple sectors and multiple disciplines in a consistent way. Flexible solutions: underpinned by requirements specified in regulations, standards or codes of practice. Cost reduction: organisations operating efficiently and effectively with oversight by UKAS, reducing the need for regulators or organisations to establish their own assessment and approval activities. How will UKAS support the criminal justice system? Scene of Crime Examination Accreditation has underpinned quality assurance of forensic analysis for almost 20 years, ensuring confidence of analysis of samples and results produced in the laboratory. However, until now the examination of, and collection of materials from, crime scenes has not been covered by accreditation. UKAS has been working with ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) and EA (European co-operation for Accreditation) to formulate a new and consistent approach to the accreditation of Crime Scene Examination throughout Europe. EA and ENFSI have developed guidance to assist with the application of the international standard ISO/IEC which will be used for the assessment and accreditation of scene of crime work. UKAS is also working with key stakeholders to ensure its process is robust and effective in determining the technical capability of crime scene units. Accredited examination and collection of materials from crime scenes will provide additional confidence in the integrity and chain of custody of the materials being collected. To findoutmore,pleasecontactian.ronksley@ukas.com Local authority services Accreditation Matters No7 Forensic accreditation Available soon... What is the right choice for you? Why leave your certification to chance? Is the laboratory you commission for your testing technically competent? If you are thinking about using testing, calibration, inspection or certification to support your business but you are not sure about the difference between accreditation and certification we can explain! Accreditation a means to So what does having demonstrate technical accredited certification to competence ISO 9001: 2008 mean? Accreditation is the only process that ISO 9001: 2008 is the Quality Management determines the technical competence Systems standard. An organisation that of organisations offering testing, calibration is certified to ISO 9001 means that or inspection services. the emphasis is on establishing an organisation s compliance with If you require testing, calibration or requirements for a quality inspection activities that ensure management system. This generic technical competence then you need standard for quality management systems is to use a UKAS accredited supplier. applicable to all organisations irrespective of type, size, product or service provided. Accreditation to ISO/ IEC 17025:2005 provides authoritative assurance of the Organisations that provide testing and technical competence of a laboratory to calibration activities can be certified to undertake specified testing or calibrations ISO 9001 for their quality management and accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020:1998 systems but this should not be provides assurance of a inspection body to interpreted to mean that an organisation undertake competent inspections. These has demonstrated the technical standards also include the principles of competence to produce valid and accurate ISO 9001 the management system data and results. requirements. What is the right choice? You need to think about your business needs. Before choosing a supplier, remember: Save time and money by selecting an organisation that will understand and meet your business requirements. Using a UKAS accredited supplier can be an invaluable tool in your decisionmaking and risk management. Check the scope of accreditation. Each accredited body has a scope which details what their accreditation covers. ISO 9001 is a generic standard for quality management systems applicable to all organisations irrespective of type, size or product or service provided. An organisation accredited to ISO/IEC and ISO/IEC has demonstrated the technical competence to produce valid and accurate data and results. Using a UKAS accredited body to carry out an independent evaluation helps demonstrate due diligence in the event of legal action. If you are busy running a business, sourcing the right people and organisations to carry out your certification work can be time consuming and fraught with unknowns. So why leave something so important to chance? If you are responsible for your company s certification make sure the certification body you select is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). UKAS is the only accreditation body recognised by government to assess certification bodies against internationally recognised standards that assure the certification body is fit for purpose. UKAS combines technical knowledge and expertise with commercial impartiality and a requirement to serve the public interest first. UKAS accreditation provides assurance in the market that certification bodies operate to recognised standards. UKAS certification bodies are accredited to the international standards ISO/IEC 17021:2004, ISO/IEC 17024:2003 and EN 45011:1998. The accreditation process provides consumers with the confidence that the quality of the service they procure is of a consistently high standard. UKAS has been formally appointed as the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom under the EU Regulation (No) 765/2008. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) works with UKAS to ensure that it operates in the public interest and meets the obligations imposed by the Regulation. Do you commission a laboratory to fulfill your testing needs? Can you be sure that they supply you with accurate and reliable results? If you do, you will want to make sure that the organisation undertaking your testing has the people, facilities, technical expertise, management systems and track records to undertake the work professionally and competently. The competence of a laboratory you Service (UKAS) is the sole accreditation appoint may be crucial to maintaining body recognised by Government to your reputation as a responsible assess, against internationally organisation. It is therefore surprising recognised standards, organisations that organisations are still tempted that provide testing services. UKAS to use the service of laboratories combines a depth of technical whose competence has not been knowledge and expertise built up confirmed by an independent, over many years with scientific and authoritative third party. technical specialists operating across The United Kingdom Accreditation a range of testing activities. What are your testing needs? There are well over xxx UKAS accredited laboratories in the Technical competence of staff UK in a wide range of sectors such as: Chemicals, Explosives, Validity and appropriateness of test methods Food, Forensics, Healthcare, Toys and Water. Suitability and maintenance of test equipment UKAS laboratory accreditation uses criteria and procedures specifically to determine technical competence. Laboratory Testing environment accreditation uses the internationally recognised standard Sampling, handling and transportation of test items ISO/IEC to assess factors relevant to a laboratory s ability to produce precise, accurate tests and data including: Quality assurance of test data For further details on UKAS accredited bodies please visit For further information visit For further information visit Accreditation or Certification? Certification services Testing services Update March

14 Profile Clinical Pathology Accreditation In 2009 CPA became a wholly-owned subsidiary of UKAS as part of a strategy by both companies to contribute to the modernisation of pathology services in the UK. Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) was established in 1992 and was co-owned by the professional bodies involved in the service delivery of diagnostic pathology within medical laboratories. The bodies involved were the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath), the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), the Association of Clinical Pathologists (ACP), and the Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB). These professional bodies continue to support the work of the organisation. CPA assesses medical laboratories (both in the public and independent health care sectors) and External Quality Assessment schemes, of which there are currently more than 1400 laboratories registered with the scheme. This represents about 90 percent of the total medical laboratory services within the United Kingdom. CPA has also accredited laboratories in Mexico, Italy, USA, Kuwait and Dubai. The main head office is now based within the UKAS offices in Feltham. CPA continues to be headed by Cheryl Blair as Executive Manager, supported by a team of 13 employed professional Regional Assessors plus three Regional Assessment Managers and an internal Customer Liaison Team. The Regional Assessors are responsible for ensuring a high standard of assessments, monitoring the overall quality of assessments, reporting any problems, contributing and supporting the development of CPA assessment and training programmes with a particular emphasis on quality systems. The Regional Assessors have continuing responsibility for the assessment of medical laboratories within a region and they work with Peer Assessors, as lead auditor, to form the assessment team. CPA Peer Assessors are usually practising Consultants/Clinical Scientists of equivalent status and Biomedical Scientists at the most senior level. CPA also uses retired assessors who have maintained statutory registration with a professional body. One of their objectives is to ensure that all applicants are assessed within their scheduled timescale. The Regional Assessment Managers Gwen Guthrie, Ken Rae and Phil Shread who were all previously employed in senior managerial positions in NHS medical laboratories are responsible for making the decision on the accreditation status. The assessment process is supported by the internal Customer Liaison Team led by Commercial Team Leader Kayleigh Gregory. The team is responsible for all organisational and administrative aspects of the accreditation process. Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, bodily fluids, and whole bodies (autopsies). It is the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases. CPA assess all disciplines of pathology which includes: Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology, Histopathology, Cytology, Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, Genetics and Andrology. 14 Update March

15 Upcoming Events TAF Annual Conference UKAS will exhibit at the TAF (Trade Association Forum) Annual Conference on the 10 March 2011 to promote accreditation. TAF has 300 trade association members who represent 500,000 companies. UKAS has continued to maintain a close relationship with TAF to raise awareness about accreditation. The Annual Conference will provide an opportunity to come into contact with senior TAF members from different small to medium sized enterprises. This year the event programme will include a series of conference sessions focused upon the UK economy, the factors that affect trade associations and current topics that influence their members. Jon Murthy, UKAS Marketing Manager will also participate in a panel discussion, Raising Standards in your Industry joined by Shirley Bailey-Wood, Operations Director, BSI Standards and Laurence Waterman, Group Director, SYPOL and Head of Health and Safety for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). MCERTS Air and Emission Monitoring Conference MCERTS is a specialist event for companies who provide products and services for Air and Emission Monitoring. This event will be taking place on the 30 and 31 March 2011 at the International Centre in Telford and will be the sixth time this event will be held on Air and Emission Monitoring. The event is supported by the Environment Agency and the Source Testing Association (STA), therefore visitors can be confident that they will be attending an industry event on topics related directly to their field of work. Topics covered in 2011 will include Ambient Monitoring, Dioxin Monitoring, Mcerts regulation, CEMS, Calibration, Discontinuous Monitoring, Gas Analysis, Data Acquisition, Manual Stack Monitoring and Operator Monitoring Assessment. UKAS in conjunction with the Environment Agency (including input from the STA) have completed the pilot programme to award ISO/IEC and MCERTS accreditation for testing laboratories performing QAL2 and AST work to BS EN 14181: Rohit Chirodian, UKAS Assessment Manager will be delivering a conference presentation to support this topic. Update March