UKAS and AHCS sign Statement of Mutual Support

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) have signed a Statement of Mutual Support, reinforcing the important relationship between accredited healthcare science services and a professionally registered workforce.

Across the UK, healthcare science underpins the majority of NHS diagnostic and treatment pathways. Accreditation plays a critical role in providing independent assurance that healthcare science services operate to recognised standards, supporting patient safety, quality and confidence across the healthcare system.

By working alongside professional bodies such as AHCS, UKAS helps ensure that services delivering healthcare science are supported by both robust quality systems and a competent, professionally recognised workforce.

Professor Chris Hopkins – President, Academy for Healthcare Science said:

“Professional regulation is fundamental for patient safety. Healthcare scientists deliver highly specialised diagnostic and therapeutic services that directly influence clinical decision making and patient outcomes. Professional registration ensures that these practitioners meet nationally defined standards of competence, ethics and accountability.

The partnership between the Academy for Healthcare Science and UKAS reinforces an important principle: accredited healthcare science services must be underpinned by a professionally registered workforce. When professional registration is embedded alongside robust service accreditation, it provides a powerful assurance of quality, strengthens public confidence, and ensures patients receive care from practitioners who are appropriately trained, competent and accountable.

By working together, the AHCS and UKAS are ensuring that healthcare science services across the UK continue to meet the highest standards of safety, professionalism and clinical excellence.”

The collaboration highlights the complementary roles of accreditation and professional registration in strengthening quality across healthcare science services. Together, UKAS and AHCS will continue to support organisations and professionals in maintaining high standards, encouraging continual improvement, and delivering confidence in the science that underpins patient care.

UKAS looks forward to supporting AHCS continue championing professional registration and accreditation as essential foundations for delivering world-class healthcare science services.