The aim of Quality Assurance (QA) in the bowel cancer screening programme is to maintain minimum standards and continuously improve the performance of all aspects of bowel cancer screening in order to ensure that individuals have access to a high quality service, wherever they reside.
Quality assurance is a shared responsibility between:
- The Trusts that provide the service;
- The Business Services Organisation (BSO) that maintains and operates the bowel cancer screening IT system and provides a call/recall service;
- The Public Health Agency (in collaboration with the Strategic Planning and Performance Group) that commissions the programme; and
- The Young Person and Adult Screening Team within the Public Health Agency is responsible for ensuring quality standards are achieved and maintained within the programme.
QA Leads
The quality assurance function is underpinned by an organised structure of public health and professional leads, supported by programme managers, information and administrative staff. Individual QA Professional Leads within the Bowel Screening Programme are appointed through an interview process with agreed job descriptions and sessions dedicated to the role. They are responsible to the Public Health Consultant Lead for Bowel Cancer Screening and accountable to the Assistant Director of Public Health, Screening and Professional Standards
The Role of QA Leads
It is the role of the QA leads to assist with the coordination of quality assurance activities for the Northern Ireland Bowel Screening Programme and provide professional advice to the Public Health Agency on issues relevant to the commissioning of the screening programme within their area of expertise. They should work collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to quality assure the programme. This includes working to ensure relevant national and local standards are met and appropriate continuous quality improvement processes are in place.
Bowel Cancer Screening Programme QA Leads:
| QA Lead for Colonoscopy | Dr William Dickey, WHSCT |
| QA Lead for Radiology | Dr Myles Nelson, NHSCT |
| QA Lead for Histopathology | Dr Maurice Loughrey, BHSCT |
| QA Lead for Specialist Screening Practitioners (SSP) | To be announced |
For more information on the Quality Assurance Structure read our Northern Ireland Cancer Screening Programmes Quality Assurance Structures document (in process of being updated- not available to upload).