UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is appointed by the government, to assess and accredit organizations that provide services, including certification, testing, inspection, and calibration.
From the beginning of the pandemic, UKAS has been working with the government to provide advice on quality assurance and accreditation of laboratories performing COVID-19 testing including laboratories that have been supporting the national testing provision (NHS Test and Trace) and also private testing providers.
Three-stage UKAS accreditation process
Since November 2020, UKAS has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to develop a three-stage UKAS accreditation process for private providers of COVID-19 testing.
Only after successfully completing the third stage is the organization accredited by UKAS
Under the scheme, organizations that take swab samples and/or test them are required to demonstrate their ability to meet the required standard by progressing through each stage – application, appraisal, and accreditation – with increasing levels of assessment by UKAS.
Only after successfully completing the third stage is the organization accredited by UKAS. To date, UKAS has received over 500 applications/extensions to scope requests for COVID-19 testing/sampling and has accredited 245 public and private sector laboratories/sample-takers.
Providers of COVID-19 testing
Neither Immensa Health Clinic Ltd nor its related company Dante Labs Ltd has been accredited by UKAS. The details of UKAS-accredited organizations are published on the UKAS website. A list of private providers that have self-declared as meeting the minimum requirements for private providers of COVID-19 testing can be found on the gov.uk website.
Providers on this list that conduct sampling and/or testing activities are required to apply for UKAS accreditation and progress through the stages to gain accreditation as per the DHSC requirements.