The Neuropathology EQA scheme (NEQAS) forms part of a system of quality assurance to healthcare organisations that diagnostic skills are being maintained and improved.

Aims and Purpose of the Scheme

The aim of the scheme is both educational and to identify poor performace in interpretive skills of participating neuropathologists. Neuropathologists compare their diagnostic skills with those of their peers. The feedback helps them to learn and improve. It also helps to assess competence of consultants in Neuropathology and provides evidence of continuing professional development.

Description of scheme

The Neuropathology EQA Scheme is run by the organiser (Dr O Ansorge, Oxford) on behalf of the British Neuropathological Society. There are about 60 participants  per circulation. There are 2 circulations per year. Twelve scoring and 3 educational cases are distributed per circulation.

The scheme functions by circulating microscope slides and clinical information to Clinical Neuropathologists. The pathologists return their diagnoses and comments to the regional scheme organiser. A numeric score is allocated to every diagnosis; scoring relies heavily on the 'closeness of fit' with the consensus of the whole group, which meets at the Winter Meeting of the BNS.

Objective, personalised feedback is provided to each participant in a confidential manner and information about the performance of individual pathologists is held only in coded form. It is not available here.

Molecular Diagnostics EQA

Dr W. Stewart has been developing a pilot for molecular diagnostic testing of brain tumours. This is a technical as well as interpretaive quality assurance scheme.