Centre for Evidence Based Purchasing

The Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing (CEP) manages a network of 13 centres, each responsible for a different area of evaluation. The Microbiological Diagnostics Assessment Service is a CEP Evaluation Centre responsible for the assessment of microbiological devices.

Evaluations undertaken in partnership with CEP are published as CEP Evaluation Reports

World Health Organisation: Essential Health Technologies

The Microbiological Diagnostics Assessment Service and the HPA’s Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Virus Laboratory jointly act as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnostic and Laboratory Support. The Microbiological Diagnostics Assessment Service has worked with the WHO’s Department of Essential Health Technologies since 1998

In this capacity the Microbiological Diagnostics Assessment Service acts as a repository for WHO Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C specimen panels, and provides objective evaluation of worldwide HCV and Hepatitis B (HBsAg) kits with a particular emphasis on the utility of low technology approaches to blood screening for the developing world

The results of evaluations undertaken in partnership with WHO are published in WHO reports that describe the operational characteristics of kits

Back to TOP

National Blood Service

We provide evaluation data on HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B (HBsAg) and syphilis kits to the NBS. Our sensitivity data, and specificity data from blood centres, is used to decide on the basis of performance which kits are suitable for use in NBS testing centres.

The decision making process is undertaken through the NBS Kit Evaluation Group committee that meets quarterly. Representatives from the HPA sit on this committee.

Back to TOP