Straight to the point: iPOCT first to gain UK accreditation for point of care testing

Unilabs iPOCT has become the first laboratory to be granted UK accreditation for point-of-care testing. This accreditation gives confidence in the competence of iPOCT's innovative, customer-focused testing service, and may ultimately lead to improved clinical care for patients.

Recent government reports recommended that POCT providers participate in clinical audit and other clinical governance activities. Additionally the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published a report Management and Use of IVD Point of Care Test Devices DB2010 (02), recommending the assessment of POCT services by an external accreditation body. ISO 22870:2006 'Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) - Requirements for Quality and Competence' provides the Quality Framework for organisations to adopt when managing POCT activities. In addition, Clinical Pathology Accreditation UK Ltd (CPA) has recently published POCT standards.

Unilabs iPOCT is the first and only organisation in the UK to be granted accreditation for its POCT services. The accreditation was granted to ISO15189 and ISO 22870 by United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) and by CPA to the recently published CPA POCT standards.