It’s National Pathology Week and we are joining other organisations across the country to celebrate the important contribution pathologists make to healthcare and highlight the amazing work that they do every day to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.
Pathology Facts & Figures*
- Hospital labs typically run over 1 billion tests per year.
- 500 million biochemistry and 130 million haematology tests are carried out per year.
- 300,000 tests are performed every working day.
- 50 million reports are sent from labs to GPs every year.
*Data from RCPath.org
This week is all about raising awareness of a crucial part of the healthcare industry, and encouraging young people to learn and hopefully pursue a career in science.
Young People in Science
Earlier this year we had two work experience students from Cardiff Metropolitan University. We really enjoy providing opportunities for young people who want to work in science disciplines – it was a pleasure to have these students as part of the Weqas team for the three months they were with us. We asked the students what they thought of their time with us, and what their future ambitions are as young people starting a career in science. Read what the students said about their experience: https://www.weqas.com/work-experience/
Why is EQA so important?
EQA is an important tool for Pathologists and laboratories as its key objective is continuous quality improvement within laboratory medicine. Quality Assurance programmes can:
- provide an early warning of systematic problems;
- compare performance to peers from other test sites;
- highlight areas for improvement;
- identify training needs.
| *Factors influencing choice of EQA provider | Why Weqas? |
|---|---|
| Accreditation status | Weqas accredited to ISO 17043. |
| Clinically relevant distribution frequency | Where EQA is used to assess IVDs, a minimum of 6 distributions p.a. is advisable (BS EN 14136:2004). Apart from rare diseases, Weqas' programmes are bimonthly as a minimum. For core tests, the distribution (or challenge) frequency is monthly. |
| Clinically relevant range and number of samples | Weqas provides “blinded”, commutable samples wherever possible with additional challenging samples and linear panels to assess method linearity, specificity and sensitivity. |
| Clinically relevant performance specification | Weqas uses Milan Model 2 performance specification whenever appropriate: based on biological variation data. |
| Programme designed and overseen by appropriately competent professionals | Weqas' Director has over 40 years experience in Laboratory Medicine and is supported by a team of Clinical Scientists and an Independent Scientific Advisory group. |
| Education | Training and helpline support. Pre-analytical, Analytical and Post-analytical education. |
| Reporting to Professional body / Regulatory body | Reporting to professional body within the UK, with mechanisms in place for identification and reporting of persistent poor performance issues. |
| Post-marketing surveillance | Weqas liaises with laboratories, manufacturers, professional bodies, regulatory and competent authorities. |
| Independent | Weqas is a “not for profit” healthcare organisation and is not affiliated to an IVD manufacturer. |
*James D, Ames D, Lopez B, et al. External Quality Assessment : Best practice. J Clin Pathol 2014;67:651.
