Underpinning quality healthcare commissioning
The need for continual improvement in the quality of care for patients, whilst delivering efficiency and productivity is a key principle for commissioners of healthcare services, including local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and national specialised commissioners. UKAS accreditation is a tool that can be used to support the commissioning of healthcare services that are safe, effective and, above all, clinically focused on the best service delivery to patients.
The influence and use of UKAS accreditation in healthcare continues to grow across a wide range of areas, to support the delivery of informed and effective purchasing, good governance and public confidence. Accreditation is provided to diagnostic services such as pathology laboratories, physiological services, diagnostic imaging services, point of care testing providers, medical physics and clinical engineering services as well as service providers such as dental practices and adult social care homes. UKAS accreditation schemes have been recognised by CQC and have been approved for use within CQC hospital inspection methodology.
The benefits of accreditation for Commissioners include:
- Providing an independent assurance of quality and safety that supports commissioning decisions to deliver better care and value for patients.
- Providing a mechanism for measuring quality improvement.
- Supporting consistency in the quality of care.
Resources for Commissioners
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The British Society of Echocardiography
The BSE has released an updated position statement to demonstrate its continued support for the IQIPS accreditation scheme and recognition that accreditation in cardiology and other physiological sciences brings benefits in assuring safe and effective care.
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Joint ANS & BSCN Position Statement on UKAS Accreditation via the IQIPS Scheme
The Association of Neurophysiological Scientists (ANS) & British Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (BSCN) have released a joint official position statement which strongly endorses UKAS accreditation for Neurophysiology Services as part of the IQIPS Scheme.
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The British Heart Rhythm Society (BHRS) Position Statement
The BHRS has released a position statement fully endorsing the IQIPS Scheme and encouraging cardiac physiology services to participate.
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Care Quality Commission
UKAS accreditation of diagnostic imaging services, medical laboratories and physiological services are approved CQC schemes. UKAS accreditation is used to inform the inspection activity undertaken by the CQC as accreditation meets CQC requirements relating to quality, rigour and uptake of each accreditation scheme.
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NHS Wales Diagnostics Recovery and Transformation Strategy
NHS Wales published its 2023-2025 diagnostics recovery and transformation strategy in April 2023. One of the nine themes of specific focus is Quality and Safety, including a goal of ensuring that all diagnostic and supporting services gain formal accreditation. As the UK’s sole national accreditation body, UKAS is able to support this strategy for diagnostic imaging, medical physics and clinical engineering, physiological science, and medical laboratory services.
Read more
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Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP) Position Statement
The Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP) has issued a policy statement that recommends that all respiratory and sleep services become IQIPS accredited to demonstrate comliance with professionally developed standards. A copy of the statement is available on the ARTP website.
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NHS England Position Statement
NHS England has outlined its strong position towards accreditation of diagnostic services by publishing a position statement. It remains committed to, and strongly endorses participation of diagnostic services in the Diagnostic Imaging, IQIPS, and Medical Laboratory accreditation programmes.
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Guidelines For Professional Ultrasound Practice (SCoR)
The following guidelines, produced by the Society and College of Radiographers, have been published to be used as recommendations for good practice in ultrasound services. They recommend that services should be accredited by UKAS.
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The Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss – a Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups (NHSE)
The framework states that with IQIPS accreditation, hearing services can assure commissioners and service users that they meet a range of clearly defined quality standards:
The provider will be expected to undertake a quality audit such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) IQIPS-Self Assessment and Improvement Tool (SAIT) before delivering NHS services under the contract and continue using the quality audit on a regular basis;
The provider will be expected to be working towards UKAS IQIPS accreditation standards and achieving accreditation.
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Lessons from accredited paediatric audiology services - Why commission and provide an IQIPS accredited service?
The National Deaf Children’s Society states that IQIPS accreditation can “help to raise standards and reassure parents that their child will receive a high level of care” and has collated lessons learnt from accreditation paediatric audiology services.
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Strategic Review of Cardiac Physiology Services in England
The joint review into cardiac physiology services in England by the SCST (Society for Cardiological Science and Technology) and the BCS (British Cardiovascular Society) recommends that all cardiac physiology services should be accredited through the Improving Quality in Physiological Services programme (IQIPS) to demonstrate that the service they provide meets these defined quality standards in order to transform services and patients’ experience of cardiovascular disease care.
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NHSP Commissioning guidance for Newborn Hearing Screening Programme requires IQIPS Accreditation
Commissioners’ should ensure that Audiology services participate in, and maintain accreditation to defined quality standards operating under the umbrella of the United Kingdom Accreditation Schemes (UKAS) / improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS).
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Management and use of IVD point of care test devices
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) states that any site providing a POCT service should undergo accreditation. Accreditation is assessment, by an external body, of the competence to provide a service to a recognised standard. By having this independently confirmed, POCT providers are able to give reassurance to users of their service.
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UKAS, NHSE & IPEM Joint Statement on MPACE Accreditation
UKAS, NHS England and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) released a joint statement regarding their plans to develop an accreditation scheme for MPACE services. Please note this was issued prior to the UKAS development project launch when the name of the scheme was changed from iCEPSS to MPACE.
