Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Please use the section below to navigate through our Frequently Asked Questions. Each section provides information and guidance on a range of topics related to our services.
If you are unable to find the information you require, please contact us at admin@ukneqasli.co.uk and a member of our administrative team will assist you.
Contacts and Support
I’ve forgotten my login credentials. What do I do?
You can request a password reminder or update contact details via the Participant Hub.
Alternatively, email admin@ukneqasli.co.uk or call +44 (0)114 267 3600.
How do I request a repeat sample?
Use the “Request a Repeat Sample” icon on the homepage of the website, or contact the Administration team directly if access is unavailable. https://www.ukneqasli.co.uk/contact-us/temp-request-a-repeat-sample/
What if I have technical issues with data submission?
Contact the Administration team for support using the contact details above.
Is UK NEQAS part of the NHS?
UK NEQAS centres are hosted within the NHS, academic organisations or other not-for-profit private organisations. All our centres are independent and impartial. Our independence is assured through a Board of Trustees, governance mechanisms, codes of practice and independent advice from our steering committees of medical and scientific experts.
Can I continue to use another person’s login details if they leave.
Default: Lead contact who receive all communications.
Genetics: Name is the genetics default contact at the laboratory.
Invoice: Person responsible for all invoice related correspondence (only 1 invoice contact per lab)
Other: Point of contact with ability to enter data but do not receive any notifications.
Supervisor: Central contact for all HMBMAA license labs if applicable.
Trial: Laboratory contact with ability to enter data, receive trial notifications and report notifications.
Report: Receives report information only.
Where can I find further information regarding UK NEQAS LI accreditation?
To view information relating to UK NEQAS LI accreditation and certification visit our homepage https://www.ukneqasli.co.uk/
Can I view your Privacy Policy?
Yes, the Privacy Policy link is shown in the footer of all pages on the UK NEQAS LI website.
New Registrations
Can I participate in programmes on a trial by trial basis?
No, membership is based on an annual subscription
How do you register as a new participant?
To register, please complete and submit the New Registration Form, available on the homepage under the “New Registrations” icon https://hub.ukneqasli.co.uk/Registration/RegLI.asp
For any additions or changes to an existing programme, registered participants should contact the administration team directly admin@ukneqali.co.uk
What happens after I submit a new registration?
Once you submit your online registration and confirm that you have read and understood the Terms & Conditions, you enter a formal subscription to UK NEQAS LI programmes. This represents an active participation agreement rather than an expression of interest. Our admin team will process the new registration within 5 working days, if there are any issues you will be contacted directly for further information.
When will I receive the first sample?
If a live trial is open, you may be offered the option to participate. Alternatively, you will have the option to receive a practice sample and report for the programmes you have registered for. This allows you to familiarise yourself with the process before joining a live trial. Please note that results cannot be submitted for practice samples.
What information will I receive upon registration?
Once your registration is complete, you’ll receive a welcome email and letter which includes helpful guidance on managing your subscription. Additionally, your unique web login credentials will be automatically generated and provided to you.
Can I register more than one machine?
Please contact admin directly admin@ukneqasli.co.uk with your request.
Re-Registration and Programme Participation
How do I re-register for programmes?
Re-registration opens annually from early February to 31st March. Log into the Participant Hub and select the ‘Re-Registration’ option to update your programme subscriptions. Please note, changes will not take affect until the 1st April of the subsequent finanicial year. For detailed guidance, refer to the Re-Registration Guide for Participants which can be found via the Participant Hub > Trials/Data Entry > Actions > Downloads > Resources > Re-Registration.
Can I amend/add new contact details?
Yes. Within the Participant Hub, navigate to ‘My Details’ to update contact information. To change the default contact, please email admin@ukneqasli.co.uk.
How can I add new programmes to my current subscription?
Contact UK NEQAS LI via admin@ukneqasli.co.uk or call +44 (0)114 2673600.
Where can I find further information relating to the programme you offer?
Further programme information can be found on the UK NEQAS LI homepage www.ukneqasli.co.uk under EQA/PT programmes or by following this link
Where can I find the trial schedules?
Trial Schedules can be found by clicking here
Invoicing and Financial Information
How do I provide financial information for re-registration?
UK centres must provide a valid Purchase Order Number during re-registration. Non-UK centres may need to provide VAT and EORI numbers, especially if located within the EU. Detailed instructions are available in the Re-Registration Guide, which can be found via the Participant Hub > Trials/Data Entry > Actions > Downloads > Resources > Re-Registration.
How do I obtain prices or request a quote?
To request a price or quote, UK centres should contact admin@ukneqasli.co.uk. Non-UK centres should contact Claire@eqainternational.com
How do I get a copy invoice?
To request a copy invoice, UK centres should contact admin@ukneqasli.co.uk Non-UK centres should contact Claire@eqainternational.com
Shipping Issues or Sample Handling and Storage?
What should I do if my sample does not arrive?
Allow 14 days for delivery, if the shipment has not arrived after this time you are able to request a repeat sample using the UK NEQAS LI homepage ‘Request a Repeat Sample’ icon alternatively use the following link https://www.ukneqasli.co.uk/contact-us/temp-request-a-repeat-sample/
Sample Processing
How should I store EQA samples upon arrival?
Store all samples at 2–8°C unless otherwise specified. Lyophilised samples should remain in their dry form at this temperature until reconstitution. Do not freeze or store reconstituted samples.
What should I do if a sample appears damaged or does not pass internal quality control (QC)?
Contact UK NEQAS LI immediately via repeatsamples@ukneqasli.co.uk or call +44 (0)114 267 3600 to request a repeat sample
I have misplaced the trial coversheet how do I get a replacement ?
Navigate to EQA/PT Programmes tab on the UK NEQAS LI website, select either Flow Cytometry or Molecular Haemato-Oncology Programmes and select the programme name, coversheets are saved at the foot of the page.
Are the samples infectious?
Samples are produced from human material either virologically tested or classified as having a low risk of infection and carry minimal infectious risk. However, treat all material as potentially infectious and follow your local COSHH and health & safety procedures.
Can I use my routine protocols to process the EQA samples?
Yes. Samples should be processed as per your routine clinical workflows. Some programmes may require minor protocol adjustments (e.g., scatter voltage tuning for stabilised samples or omitting viability dyes).
Should I modify extraction for lyophilised samples?
Some minor adjustments, such as skipping red cell lysis and ensuring adequate homogenisation, can improve nucleic acid recovery. Refer to guidance provided with the distribution.
Can I use any methodology or platform?
Yes. All suitable validated methods are accepted. UK NEQAS LI does not endorse specific platforms but may comment on any that pose performance risks in trial reports.
Am I able to submit results for additional machines.
Yes, however these will need to be registered as secondary registrations contact UK NEQAS LI via admin@ukneqasli.co.uk or call +44 (0)114 267 3600.
Do I need to participate in all rounds?
We recommend that the customer participates in all available surveys. Our EQA programmes are carefully designed (with oversight by our Specialist Advisory Group and Steering Committee) to annually incorporate samples that represent a wide range of clinically relevant scenarios. Failure to participate in one or more trials within the registration year, is likely to mean that the full range of samples has not been tested and therefore satisfactory performance cannot be proven. If laboratories choose not to participate in one or more trials, we strongly recommend that an internal risk assessment is performed. It is the participants responsibility to inform us if they do not intend to submit results for a particular round. If no notification is provided to UK NEQAS LI, this will be treated as a non return and performance monitoried as a critical result.
Results Submission
How do I submit my EQA results?
Log into the Participant Hub at https://hub.ukneqasli.co.uk/SampleEntry/ using your PRN, identity, and password. Follow the instructions on the relevant data entry page.
What is the deadline for submission?
Submission deadlines are printed on your coversheet and announced in the trial issue email. Late or non-returns are recorded and may affect performance status.
Can I edit results after submission?
No. Once you click “Submit,” results are locked. If you only click “Save,” results can still be edited. Always double-check before submitting.
Can I submit results for more than one method?
Yes, but please contact UK NEQAS LI in advance if you intend to do so.
In extenuating circumstances, is it possible to get an extension to the deadline for results submission?
Possibly, please use the form on our website to apply for late submission of results: https://www.ukneqasli.co.uk/contact-us/results-submission-extension-request/
An application must be made during the live trial period before the general results submission deadline. If the trial has closed, please contact admin@ukneqasli.co.uk
My laboratory is registered for a programme with multiple distributions per annum, can I choose to submit results for only some of the trial distributions?
No, trial distribution frequency is defined by UK NEQAS LI’s steering committee and specialist advisory group. It aims to provide a balance between ensuring comprehensive quality assessment of a laboratory’s testing, while not overloading their resources. UK NEQAS LI typically issue between 2-5 rounds per annum. Multiple trials are issued throughout the year to ensure that there are not long periods of time between a laboratory’s assay being assessed. This captures the laboratory’s test under different environmental conditions, using different reagent batches and different operators. Therefore, providing a more comprehensive picture of the quality of a laboratory’s assay. Furthermore, it allows us to send out EQA exercises capturing range of case scenarios, including different variant types/allelic loads, depending on the programme. More trials are issued in programmes where the risk associated with an incorrect test result are greater.
As persistent unsatisfactory performance requires unsatisfactory performance over multiple trial distributions and may suggest the presence of an ongoing systematic error affecting many patients, the trial distribution frequencies are designed to capture this information in <1 year.
If there are unforeseen and/or exceptional circumstances for a non-submission of results, please contact admin@ukneqasli.co.uk before trial closure to provide supporting information. Any active decision by a laboratory to only participate in a sub-set of trials for a given programme annually will not qualify for exclusion from scoring and performance monitoring (as applicable) in the absence of mitigating factors.
How do I request a results entry extension?
Use the “Late Results Entry Request” icon on the home page of the website or follow the attached link https://www.ukneqasli.co.uk/contact-us/results-submission-extension-request/
Reports
When will I receive my report?
Reports are available in PDF format via the Participant Hub after trial closure. You will be notified by email when your report is ready.
How is performance scored?
Details of how accredited Flow Cytometry and Molecular Haemato-Oncology programmes are scored can be found in the EQA/PT programme section in each individual programme link.
How is performance assessed?
Results are monitored collectively across methods. Method-specific data may be summarised for information but does not affect overall scoring unless significant outliers are identified.
How can I access my historical reports?
Log into the Participant Hub at https://hub.ukneqasli.co.uk/SampleEntry/ using your PRN, identity and password. The last 6 reports for each programme can be downloaded from the Trials/Data Entry page.
Can I view reports for a programme I am now withdrawn from?
Yes, Log into the Participant Hub at https://hub.ukneqasli.co.uk/SampleEntry/ using your PRN, identity and password and select the Trials/Data Entry tab. This will bring up the list of programmes you are currently subscribed to, navigate to view withdrawn trial tab to the right of the tool bar. Select the tab, select the programme name you are looking for and the report should be available to download.
I'm having trouble understanding my report - what should I do?
There are annotated reports on the programme specific webpage www.ukneqasli.co.uk/eqa-pt-programme-information
