The Division strives to provide high clinical laboratory standards by engaging in well-accepted quality assurance activities. The Division’s Laboratory Quality Committee, consisting of members from all disciplines in the department, meets regularly and works closely together with each other and with clients to solve problems and to ensure a high standard of laboratory service. The quality and appropriateness of services are reviewed regularly in order to pursue opportunities to improve patient care, customer satisfaction and resolve identified problems. The aim is for clients to be confident that the test results and reports generated are accurate, reliable and clinically relevant and reported in a timely manner.
The Division’s laboratories are accredited or certified by the following locally/ internationally recognised accreditation or certification programmes:
Certification/Accreditation Programme
Since
Section/Laboratory Accredited or Certified
College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Programme (CAP)
Mar 2003
All Clinical Laboratories in Division of Pathology
BSL-3 Laboratory Certification
Dec 2003
SGH BSL-3 Facility, Academia, Level 13
Business Continuity Management (BCM)
Sep 2005
Business Continuity Management (BCM-TR19:2005)
Aug 2007
World Health Organization
1998
National Polio Laboratory
The laboratories participate in proficiency testing, maintain and regularly review standard operating procedures and quality control procedures, conduct on-going personnel training and competency assessment, review specimen handling, test methodologies, test reporting and safety, among others. Feedback given by clients is important to help us improve our services and respond to their needs. Our laboratories participate in several well-established, locally and internationally recognised proficiency testing programmes. These programmes are useful to gauge our performance and standard against other laboratories which participate in the programmes. They are also useful from an educational point of view, and are important sources of information and clinical material. We have been obtaining good results for these proficiency testing programmes which cover the full spectrum of tests that are offered by our laboratories. The external quality programmes that are used for proficiency testing are listed in the table.
Disciplines
Programme Title
Frequency
Blood Bank (Transfusion Medicine)
CAP Comprehensive Transfusion Medicine
3/year
CAP Direct Antiglobulin Testing
2/year
CAP Transfusion Medicine, Automated Testing
CAP Transfusion Medicine Competency Assessment – Comprehensive Transfusion Medicine
CAP Transfusion Medicine Competency Assessment – Direct Antiglobulin Test
National External Quality Assessment Programme for Immunohaematology (Blood Services Group, Health Sciences Authority)
National Proficiency Testing Scheme for ABO Group/Rhesus (D) Type Testing (Blood Services Group, Health Sciences Authority)
Cytogenetics, Molecular Cytogenetics
CAP Cytogenetics Survey for Chromosome Abnormalities
CAP Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Survey for Constitutional & Hematologic Disorders
CAP Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Survey for Paraffin-Embedded Tissue – Breast Cancer (HER2 Gene Amplification)
CAP Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Survey for Paraffin-Embedded Tissue – Brain/Glioma Tissue
CAP Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Survey for Paraffin-Embedded Tissue – Solid Tumor
CAP Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization Survey for Paraffin-Embedded Tissue – Lymphoma Tissue
CAP Cytogenomic Microarray Analysis for Oncologic Abnormality
Cytology
CAP Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Gynecologic Cytopathology
CAP Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Non-Gynecologic Cytopathology
4/year
RCPA Cytology QAP – Gynaecological Cytopathology (Conventional Cytopathology and Fluid-Based Gynaecological Cytopathology)
RCPA Cytology QAP – Non-Gynaecological Cytopathology (General Cytopathology and FNA Cytopathology)
Haematology
CAP Blood Parasite
CAP Bone Marrow Cell Differential
CAP Clinical Microscopy Colour Photography
CAP Coagulation, Extended
CAP Coagulation, Limited
CAP Coagulation Special Testing, Series 4, Heparin
CAP Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
CAP Fetal RBC and F Cell Determination
CAP Flowcytometry CD34+
CAP Flowcytometry – Immunophenotypic Characterisation of PNH
CAP Flowcytometry – Immunophenotyping Leukaemia/Lymphoma
CAP Flowcytometry – Lymphocyte Phenotyping
CAP Hematology – Comprehensive, Automated Differential with Micrograph
CAP Hemoglobinopathy
CAP Heparin LMW CVL
CAP Minimal Residual Disease (p190)
CAP Minimal Residual Disease (p210)
CAP Molecular Genetics (Fa V Leiden / Prothrombin)
CAP Molecular Genetics (Hb S/C)
CAP Molecular Hematological Oncology, Leukaemia only
CAP Molecular Hematological Oncology, Lymphoid Malignancy
CAP Monitoring Engraftment
CAP Quality Cross Check Haematology
CAP Reticulocyte
CAP Thrombophilia CVL
CAP Urine Haemosiderin
CAP VWF Antigen CVL
RCPA CD34+ Programme
RCPA Full Blood Count Programme
12/year
RCPA Hemoglobinopathy
RCPA Hemostasis Programme
8/year
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 3 (BCR-ABL)
1/year
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 4 (BCL1/BCL2, TCR/IHCG)
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 5 (Chimerism)
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 7 (JAK2)
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 8 (PML-RAR-a)
RCPA Molecular Diagnostics – Module 9 (FLT-3ITD)
RCPA Morphology with Differential
Bacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology
CAP Bacterial Antigen Detection
CAP Bacteriology
CAP Chlamydia trachomatis (IF) Antigen Detection
CAP Clinical Microscopy – (Clinical Microscopy Miscellaneous Photographs and Occult Blood)
CAP Pneumocystis jiroveci – GMS stain
CAP Fungal Serology (for Histoplasma)
CAP GC Culture
CAP Gram Stain
CAP India Ink
CAP Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Screen
CAP Mycology
CAP Parasitology
CAP Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
RCPA Microbiology QAP – Bacteriology
RCPA Microbiology QAP – Mycology
RCPA Microbiology QAP – Parasitology
WHO GC Antimicrobial Susceptibility Programme (GASP)
CAP Molecular MTB detection and Resistance (MTBR)
CAP Mycobacteriology
CAP Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Stimulated Infection Detection
CAP Nucleic Acid Amplification
National Proficiency Testing (NPT) Scheme for AFB (Smear) Testing
RCPA Microbiology QAP – Mycobacteriology
Immunology, Serology, STD, Allergy
CAP Anti-Phospholipid Antibody
CAP Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibody
CAP Celiac Serology
CAP Diagnostic Allergy
CAP Diagnostic Immunology
CAP Fungal Serology
CAP Galactomannan
CAP Gastrointestinal & Hepatic Diseases
CAP H. pylori Antigen, Stool
CAP Immunology Special
CAP Infectious Disease Serology
CAP Rheumatic Disease Special Serology
CAP Syphilis Serology
CAP Tick Transmitted Disease
CAP Total Hemolytic Complement
CDC Syphilis Serology
RCPA Immunology QAP – Tissue Autoantibodies
RCPA Immunology QAP – Type I Diabetes Antibodies
RCPA Immunology QAP – Myositis and Scleroderma
6/year
RCPA Immunology QAP – Neuronal Antibodies
RCPA Immunology QAP – Fungal and Avian Antibodies
RCPA Serology QAP – Bacterial Serology
RCPA Serology QAP – Parasite & Spirochaete Serology
UK NEQAS Antibody to Fungal and Related Antibodies
Molecular Diagnostics
CAP Chlamydia/GC by Nucleic Acid Amplification
CAP Clostridium difficile
CAP HIV-1 Viral Load
CAP HLA-B27 Typing
CAP Human Papillomavirus
CAP KIT/PDGFRA
CAP Microsatellite Instability
CAP Molecular Hematologic Oncology
CAP Norovirus
CAP Nucleic Acid Amplification, Organisms (CP, MP, BP, LP)
CAP Nucleic Acid Amplification, Respiratory Viruses (ADV, CorV, HRV, MPV, FluA/B, PIV, RSV)
CAP Nucleic Acid Amplification, Viruses
CAP Solid Tumor - BRAF
CAP Solid Tumor - EGFR
ESP Colon EQA (NRAS/KRAS/BRAF)
QCMD Epstein-Barr Virus DNA
QCMD HBV Drug Resistance
QCMD HCV Genotyping
QCMD Human Cytomegalovirus DNA
QCMD Human Herpes Virus 6 DNA
QCMD BK Virus DNA
QCMD Toxoplasma gondii
QCMD MERS Coronavirus
QCMD Zika Virus
RCPA Molecular Alphavirus/Flavivirus
RCPA Mutation Detection in Melanoma (BRAF)
RCPA Mutation Detection in Lung Cancer (EGFR)
RCPA Mutation Detection in Colorectal Cancer (KRAS/NRAS)
RCPA Molecular HIV RNA Viral Load
RCPA Serology QAP – Molecular Avian Influenza
RCPA Serology QAP – Molecular HBV DNA Quantitative
RCPA Serology QAP – Molecular HCV RNA Qualitative & Quantitative
WHO (HK) EQA Avian Influenza / Flu A and B PCR
Satellite Laboratories
Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology
CAP Whole Blood Coagulation Survey
MLE Blood Cell Identification
MLE CoaguChek XS Plus
MLE Glucose, Whole Blood
MLE HbA1c
MLE Hematology with 3-Part Automated Differential
MLE Hematology with 5-Part Automated Differential
MLE Neonatal Bilirubin
MLE Prothrombin Time
MLE Sedimentation Rate
MLE Urinalysis Dipstick
MLE Urine hCG
MLE Urine Sediment Identification
CAP Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)
CAP Multigene Tumor Panel (MTP)
EMQN BRCA (Full scheme)
EMQN NextGen DNA Sequencing
EMQN Oncogene panel testing
CAP
College of American Pathologists
CDC
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
EMQN
European Molecular Genetics Quality Network
EQA
External Quality Assessment
ESP
European Society of Pathology
HK
Hong Kong
HSA
Health Sciences Authority
MLE
Medical Laboratory Evaluation
NSH
National Society of Histotechnology
QAP
Quality Assurance Programme
QCMD
Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics
RCPA
Royal College of Pathologists of Australia
UKNEQAS
United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service
WHO
World Health Organisation