QAPC and NQAAPs – temporary pause in activity

On behalf of the Association for Laboratory Medicine, I fully recognise the vital role that the QAPC and NQAAPs have played in supporting quality and consistency across UK pathology services. High-quality laboratory practice underpins patient safety and clinical confidence, and the work of these panels has been a cornerstone of that assurance for many years.

The decision to pause their activity from January 2026 is not one taken lightly, but it reflects the pressing need to address structural and resourcing challenges that can no longer be sustained through goodwill alone. This moment provides an opportunity to establish a more robust, coordinated, and nationally supported model that recognises the essential contribution of quality assurance to patient care. This approach clearly requires and deserves appropriate investment.

The Association for Laboratory Medicine stands alongside the Royal College of Pathologists and the Institute of Biomedical Science in our shared determination to secure a sustainable and authoritative future framework for quality assurance in pathology—one that continues to uphold the highest standards for our patients and our profession.

Read the full statement

Ian Godber
President, Association for Laboratory Medicine