UK NEQAS: coordinating point-of-care testing

Parts of the magnificent edifice that is Westminster Abbey in central London date back to Norman times, and it has been the setting for every coronation ceremony since 1066. Its status is that of a ‘Royal Peculiar’ under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, and subject only to the Sovereign. It is the burial place of kings, statesmen, warriors, poets, musicians and scientists, the most recent being the interment of Professor Stephen Hawking. The building that stands today is the result of a process of development, of evolution, over centuries.

Pathology has also undergone a process of development, albeit over a period of several decades rather than centuries, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the role that point-of-care testing (POCT) plays in healthcare. Held last autumn at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, directly opposite Westminster Abbey, a conference entitled UK NEQAS: coordinating point-of-care testing aimed to address a range of issues of current concern in the field of POCT, with particular emphasis on the role external quality assessment plays in support of this increasingly important field of pathology.

Delegates from across the UK attended the conference, and were welcomed by Professor Bill Egner, UK NEQAS President, and Director of UK NEQAS Immunology, Immunochemistry & Allergy. Speakers provided abstracts of their presentations, which are reproduced here.