The Association of Neurophysiological Scientists (ANS) & British
Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (BSCN)
Official Position Statement on UKAS Accreditation via the IQIPS
scheme – June 2019.
(Email communication to members circulated on 2nd July 2019)
Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) is an accreditation scheme covering the
8 core physiology disciplines; Audiology, Cardiac Physiology, Gastro-Intestinal Physiology,
Vascular Science, Urodynamics, Ophthalmic & Vision Science, Respiratory & Sleep
Physiology and Neurophysiology. The IQIPS scheme is managed and delivered by the
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and has run since 2012. The observed
standards were developed and are maintained by the professional bodies of the physiology
disciplines, the Accreditation Clinical Advisory Group (ACAG).
The path to gaining accreditation starts by reviewing the resources and standards (which
cover 4 domains) that are published on the UKAS website; these can be used to assess and
improve your service without any financial cost. Preliminary registration with UKAS can then
be undertaken. This provides a support package that includes the use of theTraffic Light
Ready (TLR) web-tool, preparation support, access to Linked In forum, 2 places at a
preparation for accreditation workshop and estimate of fees; this is a cost effective means of
compiling the necessary evidence and further closing any gaps between the standards and
current practice. The Registration stage attracts an annual fee of £500+VAT and most
registrants spend less than a year at this stage. Registrants then progress via an application
for assessment and accreditation. The cost for this is £1500+VAT, however if your
application is within a year of registering then it is reduced to £1000+VAT.
Accreditation is a process of continual quality improvement and once this is achieved a four-
year cycle of improvement and reassessment follows; this attracts an annual fee, an estimate
of which can be provided by UKAS on request.
Clearly this involves a significant investment of time, resources and finances; however there
are approaches that can alleviate some of this burden;
