In most surveys the specimens distributed are lyophylized animal serum and this limits the types of analysis which may be surveyed. In addition there may be problems in the manufacture and reconstitution of the sera before analysis.In an attempt to overcome some of the difficulties outlined above, a scheme called the UK NationalReceived for publication 19 April 1973.Quality Control Scheme was started in 1969. The main objectives of the scheme were as follows:1 To send at 14-day intervals a portion of a bulked human serum to all those hospital laboratories in the UK which perform clinical chemistry analyses.2 The survey should initially be concerned with 15 of the more commonly performed analyses. If a laboratory did not routinely perform all of the 15 analyses, this would not exclude it from participating in the Scheme. 3 The participating laboratories to return the results to the organizing laboratory in as short a time as possible and the results from all the laboratories to be available to the participants within 10 days of the specimen arriving in the participating laboratories.4 To make participation voluntary and preserve anonymity.5 To present the results in a manner that would enable the participants to make judgments of their performance, particularly in relation to the analytical method used.6 To assess the role of automation, analytical methods, laboratory workload, and other factors possibly affecting accuracy and precision.7 To assess if any improvement in precision and accuracy in the hospital laboratories of the UK occurred as a result of frequent surveys.
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