21 Oct 2026

IBMS appointed as UKAS's newest member

The appointment gives biomedical science a voice in the governance and future direction of the UK’s national accreditation body.

The IBMS has been appointed as a Guarantor Member of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), following UKAS’s recent Annual General Meeting.

The appointment builds on our commitment to professional standards, quality and patient safety. It provides an opportunity to bring our members’ scientific expertise and experience of delivering laboratory services into UKAS’s strategic discussions and governance.

David Wells, Chief Executive of the IBMS, said:

Confidence in a laboratory result is earned long before it reaches a clinician. It depends on skilled people, robust systems and a willingness to keep improving both. Accreditation provides independent assurance of that work.

Becoming a member of UKAS gives biomedical scientists a voice in its wider discussions, governance, and the future of accreditation. We look forward to bringing our members’ experience to that role.

UKAS has guarantor members rather than shareholders. These members bring together perspectives from government, regulators, industry, professional bodies, conformity assessment providers and consumers to help ensure that accreditation serves the public interest.

Matt Gantley, Chief Executive of UKAS, said:

We are delighted to welcome the IBMS as a member of UKAS. The IBMS plays a pivotal role championing the importance of biomedical science in healthcare and society.

We look forward to working closely with the IBMS to advance conformity assessment and quality assurance within the healthcare sector, leading to better patient outcomes.

Find out more about UKAS’s governance and members.