Standing with science: why trusted testing matters for better health

Each year on 7 April, the global community marks World Health Day, organised by the World Health Organization to highlight the importance of improving health and wellbeing worldwide. The theme for 2026, “Together for health. Stand with science.”, recognises the vital role that science plays in protecting public health and addressing global health challenges.

Behind every diagnosis, treatment decision and public health policy lies scientific evidence. That evidence begins in laboratories, testing facilities and research environments where data is generated, analysed and interpreted.

For healthcare professionals and policymakers to rely on that data they must have confidence that the results are accurate, consistent and trustworthy.

This confidence is supported by a network of standards, testing and independent verification that helps ensure healthcare systems can rely on the scientific evidence they use.

When testing accuracy matters

Consider the role of diagnostic testing.

When a patient is suspected to have cancer, they will have scans and biopsies taken.  Clinicians rely on the results to help determine the next steps in treatment. A small variation in measurement can influence decisions about treatment, further investigation or monitoring. When the patient undergoes treatment, small variations in measurement can influence whether the correct dose of chemo/radiotherapy is given or the precise location of the tumour targeted.

At a national level, diagnostic testing also supports public health surveillance. Laboratories generate data that helps health authorities understand patterns of disease, monitor outbreaks and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

The reliability of this information depends on laboratories operating to recognised standards and demonstrating that they are technically competent to carry out the tests they perform.

This is where accreditation plays an important role.

Supporting confidence in health services

Accreditation provides independent assurance that organisations carrying out testing, inspection and certification are competent to perform specific activities.

In healthcare this includes medical laboratories that analyse patient samples, physiological science services that perform hearing tests and heart function tests, organisations that test medical devices and laboratories that monitor environmental factors such as air or water quality that can affect public health.

By assessing organisations against national and internationally recognised standards accreditation helps ensure that test results are reliable and that healthcare professionals can trust the data they receive.

Accreditation also supports confidence beyond clinical settings. It plays a role in verifying the safety and performance of medical technologies, supporting pharmaceutical development and ensuring that healthcare systems operate in line with recognised quality frameworks.

A system that supports trusted science

Healthcare relies on a broader system designed to support scientific reliability and transparency.

Standards provide agreed frameworks for how testing, diagnostic services, and healthcare systems should operate. Measurement science ensures that instruments and methods produce accurate and comparable results. Conformity assessment activities such as testing and certification demonstrate that requirements are being met.

Accreditation provides independent confirmation that organisations carrying out these activities are competent to do so.

Together these elements form part of the wider quality infrastructure that supports trusted science and evidence-based decision making.

The role of accreditation in the UK

UKAS accredits medical laboratories, diagnostic testing services and organisations that support the safety and performance of medical technologies. These services help ensure that the data used by clinicians, regulators and policymakers is reliable and robust.

Accreditation provides a structured framework for quality assurance, ensuring that healthcare organisations operate in line with the robust requirements of international standards for competence and integrity. This is particularly vital in medical fields where accuracy, precision, and risk management are critical.

Key benefits of accreditation in healthcare include:

• Patient safety – Ensuring that services follow rigorous clinical protocols, reducing errors and improving outcomes.
• Consistency and reliability – Validating that diagnostic tests and procedures provide dependable and reproducible results.
• Professional competence – Verifying that healthcare professionals have the required skills and expertise.
• Regulatory confidence – Supporting compliance with national and international healthcare regulations.

As the UK’s National Accreditation Body, UKAS assesses healthcare organisations against nationally and internationally recognised standards, including ISO 15189:2022, BS 70000:2017 and IQIPS: 2023, to ensure they provide services that patients and healthcare professionals can trust.

Standing with science

The message of World Health Day 2026 is a reminder that protecting public health requires collaboration across many different disciplines.

Scientists, healthcare professionals, regulators and laboratories all contribute to the evidence base that supports better health outcomes. Standards, testing and accreditation help ensure that this evidence can be trusted.

By providing independent assurance of competence accreditation supports the systems that allow science to translate into practical action.

From the results of a single blood test to the data that informs national health policy, trusted science plays a central role in protecting communities and improving lives.

On World Health Day we recognise the importance of standing with science and the systems that help ensure scientific evidence remains reliable, credible and ready to support better health for all.

For healthcare providers looking to enhance the quality and credibility of their services, accreditation is not just a requirement—it is a powerful tool in shaping a healthier future. Find out more about how UKAS accreditation underpins patient safety and care here.