Course · 5 hours of CPD
Make quality control mean something
Stop treating QC as a tick box. Learn to set rules you can defend, catch real errors before they reach patients, and turn EQA reports from a filing exercise into your best early warning system.
5 hours of CPD with a certificate for your CPD portfolio. Pay by card, or book with an NHS purchase order.
Who this is for
- POCT coordinators and deputies who own QC across a device fleet
- Biomedical scientists moving into POCT roles
- Nurses and ODPs responsible for ward based analysers
- Private clinic quality leads preparing for inspection or accreditation
What you will leave able to do
- Choose QC frequency and materials per device type, and justify the choice in writing
- Apply Westgard rules to real POCT data without over rejecting good runs
- Run a QC failure investigation that finds the cause, not just a repeat that passes
- Read an EQA report properly: bias, imprecision, and what the scores actually flag
- Investigate an EQA failure end to end and write it up for assessors
- Build QC evidence that satisfies ISO 15189:2022 and UKAS expectations
Syllabus
Module by module
01 What QC can and cannot see
- Error types in POCT: where IQC catches them and where it is blind
- Why the manufacturer default is rarely the right QC plan
- Matching QC design to clinical risk, not habit
02 Westgard rules in the real world
- The rules explained with actual POCT data, not textbook chemistry analysers
- Choosing rule sets per device: single rule, multirule, when each is right
- False rejection: the hidden cost that makes staff ignore QC
03 QC failure investigation
- The structured routine: stop, quarantine, investigate, document, release
- Root causes by device family: strips, cartridges, cassettes, sensors
- Look back reviews: deciding whether patient results need recalling
- Writing the investigation so an assessor accepts it first time
04 EQA that earns its keep
- How schemes work: targets, peer groups, scoring, and their limits
- Reading the report in ten minutes: bias, trends, flags
- Registering the right programmes for a POCT repertoire
05 EQA failure walkthrough
- A realistic worked case taken start to finish, built from real failure modes
- Persistent bias: when the device, the lot or the scheme is wrong
- Corrective action that closes the loop, with the evidence trail
06 The QC file that passes inspection
- What UKAS assessors actually ask for, question by question
- The annual QC review: template and worked example
- Your service QC plan: build it during the course
Led by a specialist who has worked every side of POCT
Your course lead has spent a career in point of care testing: implementing, validating and supporting services day to day inside hospitals, consulting to device manufacturers and distributors on POCT and market access, and leading product management for POCT IT solutions. Every module draws on that mix of bench, business and digital, done for real.
Pricing
Simple pricing, team friendly
Individual
£99
- Full course access
- 5 hours of CPD, certificate included
- QC plan and investigation templates
- Worked EQA case files
Teams of 3 or more save 10%, teams of 5 or more save 15%. NHS purchase orders welcome. If the standards change, your materials are updated free. Prices exclude VAT where applicable.
Questions, answered
Is this relevant outside hospital labs?
Yes, deliberately. Every example is point of care: glucose meters, blood gas, HbA1c, CRP, INR. It works for hospital fleets and single device clinics alike.
Does it cover my EQA scheme?
The interpretation skills apply to every major UK and international scheme. The worked examples use realistic reports in the common formats.
Does this count as CPD?
The course represents 5 hours of CPD with a certificate for your portfolio, designed to support HCPC and professional CPD schemes.
Can we pay by purchase order?
Yes, NHS and corporate purchase orders are welcome. See the purchase orders page for how it works.
How is this different from the free vendor training?
Vendor training teaches you their device. This teaches you quality control as a discipline, vendor neutral, across your whole repertoire.