13 March, 2002

MEDICAL SCIENTISTS SPEAK OUT ON PATHOLOGY ACCREDITATION

The Australian Institute of Medical Scientists today defended the integrity
and standards of the accreditation process applied to pathology laboratories.

The AIMS is a professional association representing medical scientists
working predominantly in hospital and private medical pathology laboratories.
AIMS is involved in establishing and maintaining the high academic and
professional standards of medical scientists employed in Australian medical
laboratories.

Medical scientists are involved in the assessment of pathology
laboratories as a part of the accreditation process for those laboratories.

Pathology laboratory assessments are stringently performed, but AIMS is
concerned that the administrative process that follows a failure of a pathology
laboratory to meet the accreditation requirements can still allow that laboratory
to conduct testing before it has satisfactorily addressed the identified deficiencies.

AIMS welcomes, and looks forward to participating in, the review of the existing
pathology laboratory accreditation arrangements presently being undertaken.