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Quality Assurance

 

SMTL have a strong focus on quality assurance when it comes to our testing services. We have annual audits from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ensure our continuous compliance with ISO 17025. We also welcome clients and customers and regularly participate in onsite inspections and audits by our clients, customers and NHS corporate colleagues.

Key to our success is our commitment to providing a quality testing service, combining high levels of client satisfaction together with the maintenance of appropriate accreditation. To enable us to meet such demanding ambitions, we operate an independent Quality Assurance Department to oversee all our test facility related activities.

Customer focus is paramount to our services and attaining the Customer Service Excellence Award (CSE website) demonstrates our commitment to customer focussed service which is achieved through the dedication and expertise of our staff.

SMTL offer a comprehensive QA service, from consultation and advice to undertaking audits of medical device manufacturers.

 

UKAS

SMTL is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to the International Standard for Calibration and Testing Laboratories ISO/IEC 17025. An organisation's fulfilment of the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 means the laboratory meets technical competence, impartiality and management system requirements. Accreditation drives confidence by underpinning quality of results, ensuring their traceability, comparability and validity.

UKAS is the sole National Accreditation Body for the UK and is the highest technical authority in the UK to assess organisations that provide conformity assessment services such as calibration, certification, inspection, testing and verification against nationally and internationally agreed standards.

UKAS visits SMTL on an annual basis, and the inspection consists of a combination of inspectors assessing our quality management system (QMS), examining test reports and test methods whilst observing our technical staff performing a range of accredited tests.

Benefit of a test report from a UKAS accredited laboratory

  • Assurance that the work has been carried out to the highest standards.
  • The laboratory issuing the certificate has been stringently assessed by independent experts, and you are assured that the agreed or specified methods and procedures have been followed.
  • In addition, you will know that the measurements have been taken with instruments which have been appropriately maintained and calibrated to national and international standards.
  • Many organisations across the world (government and commercial), will accept a test report from a UKAS accredited laboratory, reducing the likelihood of having to have products tested in each country.