IBMS Congress 2023

Richard McFarlane

Technical Manager - Policy and Implementation, UKAS

Richard has been involved with quality management for over twenty-five years with as background that covers many chemistry disciplines from nuclear to environmental. the last 15 years have been with UKAS in a variety of roles from assessment to his current position as technical manager (policy and implementation) where management of overall technical rigour of UKAS processes is a high priority.

He is an active member of  European and international committees involved the development / revision and implementation of European and international standards.

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Alison Benson

Assessment Manager, United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

Alison is an Assessment Manager within UKAS, starting in March 2020 just before the first lockdown. She is the technical focus person for Biochemistry within Healthcare and supports the mentoring programme for trainee Assessment Managers. Prior to UKAS, Alison worked as a Biomedical Scientist in the NHS in Microbiology and a multi-disciplinary role within private healthcare.

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Mark Prescott

Assessment Manager, United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

Mark has been with UKAS for over 10 years working as an Assessment Manager and Technical Assessor for Microbiology / Virology, also being the Technical Focus Person for these disciplines in the Medical Laboratories Section. He has significant experience of working in both NHS and private laboratory services before this.

Mark predominantly assesses against ISO 15189:2012 although also having training in assessment against standards for Point of Care testing (ISO 22870, now withdrawn), Proficiency Testing (ISO 17043) and Testing & Calibration Laboratories (ISO 17025).

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Alyson Bryant

Healthcare Accreditation Specialist, UKAS

Alyson spent 15 years in NHS cellular pathology laboratories prior to moving to UKAS 7 years ago. She started at UKAS as an assessment manager for ISO 15189:2012 laboratories, during the CPA transition project.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Alyson was heavily involved in UKAS's response to the Covid pandemic, with particular focus on the private providers of Covid-19 testing since December 2020. She is now working as the Healthcare Accreditation Specialist, providing technical oversight for the whole Healthcare section of UKAS, to ensure they remain up-to-date and responsive to their customer's needs.

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John Ringrow

Senior Assessment Manager Healthcare , UKAS

After gaining a degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Leeds University, John’s first post was as a company microbiologist in a small scientific consultancy specialising in foods, waters, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and sterile manufacture processes. His main interests however were in medical microbiology so he joined Poole PHLS and hospital microbiology laboratories, where he completed the then IBMS Special exam.

John then moved to County Durham, developed an interest in management and quality, gained qualifications in such and held senior, management then quality management posts until the end of 2005.

John joined CPA (UK) Ltd as a full time Regional Assessor in January 2006. CPA is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and since June 2013 he was an Assessment Manager (AM) with UKAS and from November 2014, promoted to Senior Assessment Manager.  John manages other AMs and is active in various projects, including training in ISO 15189, POCT, transition projects,  and developing training for new AMs. 

During John’s professional career and in his many outside interests and activities, John has always developed his interest in teaching, training and biomedical science promotion and career development and been active in education and development of scientific and support staff. He has actively promoted pathology to a wider audience within the NHS and has been involved in both medical and nursing staff education.

John has been involved in and tutored on courses for the IBMS, been a training/portfolio assessor for the CPSM and then IBMS, panel member for the HCPC and been a lay board member for the Northern Deanery involved with post graduate medical education. John has presented at numerous local and national meetings on both scientific and management themes, and now presents regularly on quality and accreditation themes.

When not working, John has a passion for all things “planes, automobiles, motorcycles and trains”.  He has a private pilot’s licence, although spiralling costs and time constraints have curtailed that pursuit for the time being. He is also planning to restore an MGF car.

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