About Us

The Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme CLG is a Company Limited by Guarantee, originally established in 1981 as a not-for-profit national independent scheme for the objective assessment of analytical performance in laboratory medicine and primary care in Ireland.

 

The name of the Company is Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme CLG. The Company is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered under Part 18 of the Companies Act 2014.

 

The main objects for which the Company is established are:

  • To operate a national not-for-profit professional association that assesses and seeks to improve the quality of patient sample testing in Ireland.
  • To provide educational (rather than regulatory) external quality assessment (EQA) to laboratory medicine services in clinical laboratory and extra-laboratory settings, as a means of continuous external audit, thus helping participants to achieve their aim of continuous quality improvement.
  • To offer independent professional advice and guidance to participants relating to these matters as appropriate.
  • To offer a confidential service to participants.
  • To seek and develop initiatives to strengthen and expand IEQAS’s influence in order to advance quality-related matters in laboratory medicine, especially in the area of EQA.
  • To collaborate with other national or international initiatives that have the objective of improving quality of analysis in laboratory medicine.
  • To liaise with medical product suppliers and regulatory authorities relating to EQA matters as appropriate.

 

IEQAS is overseen by the Board of Directors, appointed by the Members of IEQAS CLG. A Steering Committee is appointed by the Directors to further advise on scientific matters.

 

Members of IEQAS CLG (full voting rights) include Directors, Steering Committee members and other persons with appropriate skills to enhance the objectives of the Company, including members from the Associated Professional Bodies:

 

  • Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine
  • Association of Clinical Biochemists in Ireland
  • Faculty of Pathology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

 

Associate members of IEQAS CLG (non-voting) are hospital laboratories and other testing sites that subscribe to one or more EQA schemes offered by the Company.