Terms & Conditions of EQA scheme participation (updated 01/05/09)
Participation in the EMQN external quality assessment (EQA) schemes is on a voluntary, confidential basis. All laboratories are actively encouraged to participate in all relevant schemes. Membership of the EQA schemes is open also to commercial manufacturers of relevant instruments and reagents, and to pharmaceutical, veterinary and other laboratories. Participating laboratories are identified by a code known only to the EMQN scheme organiser and other key EMQN staff.
Conditions of participation by in EMQN EQA schemes are: 1. The Head of the laboratory will be responsible for registering the laboratory with the EMQN as a participant in the appropriate EQA Schemes. Any changes in the laboratory's requirements in this respect must be notified in writing to the EMQN Administrator.
2. Samples, reports and routine correspondence may be addressed to a named deputy, but correspondence from EMQN concerning poor performance or unsatisfactory return rates, will be sent directly to the Head of the laboratory.
3. EQA samples must be treated in the same way as clinical samples.
4. EQA materials are supplied under the strict condition that they are used by the registered participant laboratory for external quality assessment tests only. The materials supplied must not be used as internal controls in molecular genetic tests or for any other purpose. Participant laboratories undertake to destroy EQA materials or return them to EMQN within eight weeks of the published date of the closure of the scheme.'
5. The EQA code number of the Laboratory and the assessment of individual performance is confidential to the participant and will not be released by EMQN to any third party
[1] without the written permission of the Head of the laboratory. In the particular circumstances set out in Section 8, this information may be released as defined in the section. The identity of participants (name of laboratory and Head of Department) and the tests for which they are registered (but not details of performance) may be released on request to the EMQN Scheme Organiser, Hospital/Private Company in which the laboratory is situated
[2] 6. When a laboratory shows unsatisfactory performance or fails to return results, the EMQN will generally make informal contact with the participant. Advice is then offered to the Head of the laboratory by contact, usually in writing.
7. If a problem becomes intractable, EMQN has a procedure for addressing this. Copies of this procedure are available from the EMQN administrator..
8. Problems relating to EQA Schemes, including complaints from participating laboratories, which cannot be resolved by the appropriate Organiser should be referred directly to the EMQN Administrator.
9. All documents, and the data they contain, issued by the EMQN are copyright and may not be published in any form without the permission of the EMQN Management Group.
[1] E.g., a national body with oversight of persistent poor performance of laboratories.
[2] E., information may be requested by an EMQN National Partner of an Accreditation agency
