Improving Quality in Allergy Services (IQAS) Registration Scheme

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The IQAS registration scheme is a new project from the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Pathologists Joint Committee on Immunology and Allergy (JCIA), which aims to improve the quality of NHS specialist allergy services.

The RCP – with additional financial support from the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the British Society for Immunology and the Royal College of Pathologists – have agreed to fund the implementation and management of the scheme under the auspices of the RCP Accreditation Unit.

Joining the IQAS registration scheme

In order to join the IQAS registration scheme, allergy services will have to meet a certain level of quality standards (available as a PDF download, below). The quality standards are based on a combination of those set out in the allergy chapter of the RCP’s recently published blueprint for medical services in hospitals, Consultant physicians working with patients, and expert opinion from the allergy community. They are currently a minimum set of standards and will be reviewed on a regular basis.

The JCIA and RCP Accreditation Unit agree that at this stage IQAS should be referred to as a 'registration' scheme rather than 'accreditation' scheme. This is because registration currently involves self-assessment rather than routine inspection. In time, however, plans are to proceed to an accreditation scheme of the type that have been so successful at improving quality in, and increasing the profile of, other specialties.

You can begin the registration process using the IQAS registration form.

The registration form is simple to complete and open to all types of consultant led, NHS based adult allergy services.

List of registered services

We are delighted to announce that allergy services at the folllowing NHS trusts have met the minimum quality standards required to gain IQAS registration: