Laboratories within the UK who wish to demonstrate that they operate to a quality system, are technically competent and are able to generate technically valid results must now meet the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. This has now become the standard that UKAS now to assess a laboratory’s competence for the purposes of accreditation.

The purpose of this document is to set down United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) policy, process and guidance on assessment and accreditation of laboratories 

The difference in this policy set out is that laboratories UKAS policy that laboratory accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 can now include the expression of opinions and interpretation of test/calibration results in reports as it is considered to be an inherent part of testing. Whereas before this was not permitted.

The laboratory’s documented quality system must reflect whether it is expressing opinions and interpretations and if so, for which activities. The process of interpreting test/calibration results for the purpose of expressing opinions and interpretations must be documented.