Future accreditation of clinical microbiology laboratories

Accreditation organisations in the United Kingdom (UK) are seeking to harmonise their practices to comply with internationally recognized standards. As organisations and laboratories work towards achieving alignment with the international accreditation standards, the standards currently applied in clinical microbiology laboratories are likely to change. The enforcement of international standards may demand extra resources to accommodate the necessary changes and it is important that laboratory staff become aware of the potential influence of international accreditation standards on clinical microbiology.