Quality of Medical Laboratories: Proficiency test for laboratories: Molecular biology : microbiology

The Laboratory Quality Service (Sciensano) was set up in 1978 by the publication of the first Order approving Clinique Biology Laboratories. Until 1988, the service was only responsible for the accreditation of laboratories as regards their inspection, the secretariat of the Clinique Biology Commission and the Appeal Commission and the purely administrative management of external quality control. The evaluation of quality control was then entrusted to recognised control laboratories. The second version of the Order for Accreditation of Clinical Biology Laboratories (1989) provided for a national external quality control programme fully coordinated by Sciensano. As a result, the activities of the service became increasingly important and allow for more uniform supervision of laboratory quality. For the organisation of external quality programmes, the Medical Laboratory Quality Service has ISO/EIC 17043 accreditation. Since 1993, laboratories have been prepared for the obligation to work under a quality assurance system, as laid down in the Accreditation Decree of 3 December 1999. This project concerns QML proficiency test for Molecular biology: microbiology’.