Summary of changes for Technical EQA
Updated 20 May 2024
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The EQA management board approved the following changes to this 3rd edition of the external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for the preparation and staining of cervical cytology samples.
1. Chapter 2: EQA scheme enquiries
Updated scheme contact information
2. Chapter 3: Quality assurance (QA) in pathology
Updated the Joint Working Group (JWG) for Quality Assurance in Pathology change of name to Quality Assurance in Pathology Committee (QAPC).
Removed out of date diagram depicting pathology EQA in the UK.
Added section 3.1 National QA advisory panel (NQAAP) in cellular pathology. This is the group responsible for overseeing EQA schemes in histopathology and cytopathology.
3. Chapter 4: Scheme roles and responsibilities
Updated chapter heading to reflect its content.
4. Chapter 5: Governance
Updated section 5 to direct the reader to the governance arrangements described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme protocol (Chapter 3).
5. Chapter 6: Conditions of entry for laboratories
Updated chapter heading to reflect its content.
Sentence added to confirm that the scheme is working towards achieving UKAS accreditation.
Sentence added to clarify that the EQA facilitator can provide participant documents relating to historical SurePathTM assessments on request.
6. Chapter 7: Eligibility requirements
Updated the eligibility criteria enabling private laboratories (both in and outside the UK) to participate in slide assessments (section 7.2 and section 7.3) subject to meeting all terms and conditions of the scheme.
7. Chapter 8: Laboratory responsibilities
Updated section 8.1 to clarify that laboratories which are late in submitting their TEQA slide(s) may be subject to the conditions of substandard performance.
Updated section 8.5 to clarify any behaviour that threatens to undermine the integrity of the scheme will be managed as per the procedure for reporting and investigating alleged collusion as described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme protocol.
Updated section 8.8 to clarify that the pooled sample suppliers are subject to routine audit by the scheme’s operational staff.
8. Chapter 9: Preparation for EQA
Updated section 9.1 to include a requirement for laboratories to verify the technical suitability of the slides and make sure they are safe for transportation prior to their submission.
9. Chapter 11: Organising the assessments
Updated to enable technical EQA assessments to take place in person or virtually.
Updated to include the use of networked microscope camera display for virtual assessments (see also section 15.1 and section 16.1).
10. Chapter 12: Preparing for the assessment
Updated to clarify that slides and accompanying documents must be available for assessments both online or in person.
11. Chapter 14: Scoring criteria
Deleted the graphical representation of scores and ratings (figure 3), as this is self-explanatory in the text.
Created a new section 14.8 to describe the scores for assessment of nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (formerly appendix 4).
12. Chapter 15: The assessment process
Clarified that the score sheet is part of the information pack the EQA facilitator provides for assessors.
13. Chapter 16: End of the practical assessment
Updated section 16.1 to clarify the process for group discussion at the end of the practical assessment.
Updated section 16.4 to clarify the results package distributed after each assessment.
14. Chapter 17: Substandard performance
Deleted figure 1 illustrating the actions following identification of substandard performance as this is self-explanatory in the text.
Clarified that the NQAAP chair is the chair of the NQAAP in cellular pathology.
15. Chapter 18: Communication
Updated to refer reader to the complaints procedure described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme (section 18.2).
Updated to refer reader to the appeals procedure described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme (section 18.3).
Updated to clarify that annual participants’ meetings can be held in person or virtually (section 18.5).
New section added to clarify that the scheme is included in the wider audit programme for the national EQA schemes (section 18.6).
Updated the annual report distribution list (section 18.8).
16. Appendices
Deleted appendix 1 for laboratories preparing pooled ThinPrepTM specimens and assimilated the procedure into Chapter 8, section 8.8.
Deleted appendix 2 procedure for laboratories preparing pooled SurePathTM specimens and removed references to this technology.
Deleted appendix 3 procedure for investigating alleged malpractice and referred reader to the professional code of conduct (Chapter 8, section 8.5)
Deleted appendix 4 describing the scores for assessment of nuclear and cytoplasmic staining and added this content to Chapter 14, section 14.8.
Deleted appendix 5 assessor score sheet and clarified that it is part of the information pack the EQA facilitator provides for assessors (section 15.3).
Deleted appendix 6 and referred reader to the complaints procedure described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme (section 18.2).
Deleted appendix 7 and referred reader to the appeals procedure described in the gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme (section 18.3).