The Quality Assurance (QA) Division sets and implements policy with regard to research, QA and accreditation.
CLSI Membership
Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) consensus documents provide practical guidance and are an educational resource for the NHLS. The QA Division is an active member.
Accreditation
NHLS laboratories are accredited by the SA National Accreditation System (SANAS) – an independent legislated body – for compliance with international standards (ISO 15189:2007).
This involves assessing the implementation of quality standards as well as the competence of a laboratory to perform designated tests.
Presently 60% of NHLS academic laboratories and 21% of regional laboratories are accredited to international standards. This means that any test result performed in these laboratories is comparable to the same test performed anywhere else in the world using the same methodology.
The graph below represents the actual number of NHLS laboratories that have achieved accreditation over the last nine years. A steady growth in the number of accredited laboratories demonstrates the NHLS’ commitment to providing a high quality, internationally comparable service.
SANAS Accredited NHLS Labs as of 31 March 2010
Useful Contacts:
Executive Head:Prof Koleka Mlisana
Tel: +27-11-885-5388
E-mail: koleka.mlisana@nhls.ac.za
Executive Secretary: Ms Annelize Brits
Tel: +27-11-386-6087
E-mail: annelize.brits@nhls.ac.za
National QA Manager: Ms Patience Dabula
Tel: +27-11-386-6147
E-mail: patience.dabula@nhls.ac.za
Monitoring and Compliance Manager: Ms Elaine Bowers
Tel: +27-11-386-6141
E-mail: elaine.bowers@nhls.ac.za