Recent studies have shown that the pre-analytical and post-analytical phases of the total testing pathway (TTP) account for up to 70% of laboratory errors. These errors may adversely affect clinical outcomes and contribute significantly to healthcare expenditure. In contrast, the majority of current EQA programmes focus on the analytical phase. However, as the importance of managing pre- and post-analytical phases is increasingly recognised within UKAS accreditation, interest in EQA programmes evaluating these areas is growing.
In light of this, Weqas are pleased to announce the launch of the Total Testing Pathway EQA programme. This new EQA programme is designed to assess laboratory performance beyond the analytical phase, and will feature challenging samples, pre-analytical contaminants, drug interferences and paper-based exercises examining result interpretation, calculations and decision making.
The Total Testing Pathway EQA Programme will feature monthly distributions. These will comprise either a set of laboratory samples requiring analysis and interpretation, or a paper-based exercise exploring decision making and professional judgement. The programme will assess the ability of individual laboratories to recognise, investigate and respond to potential errors. Although responses will be scored and anonymised summary data shared, the aim is not to penalise laboratories for areas of poor performance. Instead, the programme is intended to provide an opportunity for participants to identify gaps in their processes, reflect on their response to challenging situations and consider where improvements could be made.
We hope the programme will provide laboratories with a valuable opportunity to test not only whether they can produce the right result, but how effectively they respond when something doesn’t look quite right.
If you would like to learn more about the Total Testing Pathway EQA Programme, including the programme structure and planned distributions, please get in touch with the Weqas team: contact@weqas.com.
Last updated: 23/09/2026
