UKAS volunteers rolled up their sleeves at a children’s adventure park in Hounslow, greater London, where they helped to plant native species to improve tree cover in a built-up, urban environment. 

Volunteers Saskia Clarke, Jack Gates, Lydia Hunt, Emily Robinson and Nia Somner spent the day at the reforestation site in Hobbledown Heath to plant some of the 350 trees funded by UKAS to celebrate both World Accreditation Day 2025 and our 30th anniversary. 

To plant the anniversary trees, UKAS partnered with Treeapp – a global tree planting organisation that runs reforestation schemes to boost biodiversity and take meaningful climate action. This work makes a positive environmental, social and economic impact that is aligned to the UN sustainability goals. 

The site in Hounslow was chosen as it is close to UKAS’s head office in Staines and offers an opportunity for local school children to learn more about trees in outreach programmes and to enjoy a greener, healthier environment. 

Sustainability Lead at Treeapp, Emily Douglas, explains: “The site was historically a brownfield industrial site, leading to poor soil health. By planting trees, over time this will rehabilitate the soil by binding together the soil structure with the roots and creating channels for water to penetrate deeper into the soil. Our work will also contribute to SDG 15, Life on Land, by creating winding new wildlife corridors through the site; while planting species such as spindle and wild cherry will provide winter food sources for birds and mammals as well as nectar for pollinators. Our work will also contribute to SDG 11, Sustainable Communities, by integrating tree planting into the site for the community to enjoy and will also improve air quality in the long-term – which is particularly important due to the site’s proximity to Heathrow Airport.” 

UKAS’s funding of 350 trees at the site – one for each employee in 2025 – will result in 38.15 tonnes of CO2 being absorbed by the trees across their lifetime; four workdays created for local communities; and 2334.50 M2 of land reforested. 

All UKAS employees are entitled to a day of paid leave when they volunteer for a charity or local community group. 

Speaking about the day, Jack says: “It was very refreshing to spend the day outdoors surrounded by greenery. We learnt a lot about reforestation and rewilding projects and how even a project as small as planting a hedgerow can enable different species to flourish.  

“I love being outdoors and rewilding and reforestation is something that’s close to my heart. The most obvious benefit to planting trees is that the more we plant, the more carbon we can capture and the better this is for all our futures as it mitigates the effects of climate change. Increasing our forest cover also creates new habitats where everything from fungi and insects to plant life and small mammals can flourish.  

“To have the chance to be involved with this project felt like a huge privilege as even a small-scale planting project takes a big step towards helping people in the local community reconnect with nature and understand its importance.” 

Lydia, who is a regular volunteer at Bedfont Lakes nature reserve, adds: “The Treeapp team was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information about the trees we were planting and the best way to treat them before they go into the ground. We joined volunteers from other local companies and everyone was enthusiastic about why they were there.” 

The post Planting trees to boost biodiversity appeared first on UKAS.

For organisations operating within accredited environments, maintaining competence is not just beneficial – it is essential.

Laboratories, certification bodies, inspection organisations and healthcare services rely on skilled professionals to deliver reliable results and maintain trust in their services. Ensuring those professionals have the right knowledge and expertise requires a commitment to continuous learning.

As organisations mark Learning at Work Week, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the important role that learning and professional development play in supporting quality, competence and continual improvement.

The UKAS Academy works with professionals across multiple sectors to support learning that strengthens both individuals and organisations operating within accredited frameworks.

Why learning matters in accredited environments

Accreditation standards place strong emphasis on competence.

Whether working within testing laboratories, certification bodies or healthcare laboratories, organisations must demonstrate that their personnel have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to perform their roles.

Conformity assessment standards require organisations to ensure that employee competence is maintained and regularly evaluated.

Learning therefore plays a critical role in supporting compliance with these standards.

But beyond compliance, ongoing professional development also helps individuals stay on top of evolving best practices, emerging technologies and changing regulatory expectations.

Supporting a culture of continuous improvement

Learning at Work Week highlights the value of creating workplaces where learning is encouraged and supported. A strong learning culture brings significant benefits for teams. It can help:

• strengthen their understanding of accreditation standards
• identify opportunities for improving quality systems
• develop skills that support effective auditing and assessment
• respond confidently to changes in technical or regulatory requirements
• develop high performing teams.

By embedding learning into everyday practice, organisations can strengthen both competence and resilience.

Learning that reflects real-world challenges

Interpreting accreditation standards, implementing quality management systems and maintaining compliance across evolving requirements requires specialised expertise.

Training programmes offered through the UKAS Academy are designed to support professionals facing these challenges.

Courses provide practical guidance on topics such as:

• understanding accreditation standards
• implementing quality management systems
• preparing for accreditation assessments
• conducting effective internal audits.

This practical focus helps professionals apply their learning directly within their organisations.

Flexible learning for modern workplaces

One of the key themes of Learning at Work Week is the importance of making learning accessible and relevant to modern working environments. The UKAS Academy offers a range of learning formats designed to support professionals across different sectors and roles.

These include:

• virtual classroom training
• blended learning programmes
• instructor-led workshops
• self-paced digital learning modules.

This flexible approach allows organisations to support learning while balancing operational priorities.

Investing in people and capability

Investing in professional development helps organisations build the capability needed to operate confidently. When teams understand the standards and frameworks that govern their work, they are better equipped to maintain effective systems, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute to organisational success.

Learning at Work Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the value of learning, but it also highlights the importance of making learning an ongoing priority throughout the year.

Professional development is a long-term commitment

While Learning at Work Week offers a moment to reflect on the importance of professional development, building competence requires a long-term commitment to learning.

Through its training programmes, the UKAS Academy supports professionals as they continue to develop the knowledge and skills required to operate within accredited environments. By investing in learning, organisations can strengthen the competence of their teams, support effective quality systems and maintain confidence in the services they provide.

Explore learning opportunities with the UKAS Academy

Learning at work is, of course, relevant all year round; however this special week in the calendar is a great time to pause and reflect on how your organisation is addressing and prioritising the learning needs of your teams. To support you on your journey, UKAS Academy is offering a discount of 10% on all training courses booked during Learning at Work Week with code LAW10.

Courses support professionals across laboratories, certification bodies, healthcare organisations and inspection services, helping teams build the knowledge needed to maintain competence and strengthen quality systems.

Learning may begin with a single course, but its impact can support organisations for years to come.

Explore our upcoming courses today.

The post Building competence through learning: supporting professionals in accredited environments appeared first on UKAS.

A patient praises a new test for womb cancer being trialled at hospitals in Suffolk and Norfolk.

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The Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated officially came into operation on 1 January 2026, ushering in a new, streamlined era for international accreditation cooperation. The organisation brings together the former roles and activities of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation () and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) into a single, unified global body, providing greater coherence, efficiency and clarity for accreditation stakeholders worldwide.

Leadership arrangements for the new organisation were agreed at the final ILAC and IAF meetings held in Bangkok in October 2025, ensuring continuity and stability through the transition. Brahim Houla (GAC, Gulf States) was appointed President, with Emanuele Riva (Accredia, Italy) appointed Vice Chair. Chairs and Vice Chairs of Global ACI’s committees were subsequently confirmed via online ballots during the first quarter of 2026, enabling broad member engagement from the outset.

Global ACI brings together accreditation bodies and stakeholders from 142 countries, reflecting its truly global reach and reinforcing international confidence in accreditation as a critical enabler of trade, regulation and public trust. UKAS is an active member and continues to play a strong role in shaping the organisation’s technical and strategic direction.

In mid‑April 2026, the organisation formally introduced its operating acronym, Global ACI, together with a new logo and website (www. global-aci.org) that reflects its integrated global mission. Shortly afterwards, Global ACI held its first full round of committee meetings in Prague during the week commencing 20 April 2026, marking an important milestone in moving from transition to delivery.

The Prague meetings included sessions of the three Technical Committees:

• TC1 – Laboratories and related activities
• TC2 – Inspection
• TC3 – Certification and Verification

UKAS participated actively across all three Technical Committees, underlining its ongoing commitment to international collaboration. Adam Ward (UKAS) was confirmed as Vice Chair of Technical Committee 3, strengthening UKAS’s contribution to the development of accreditation policy and practice in the certification and verification space.

UKAS representatives also took part in the Accreditation Committee, which provides oversight of ISO/IEC 17011 and cross‑standard issues, and the Arrangements Committee, which is responsible for the Global ACI Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA). The new MRA replaces the former ILAC MRA and IAF MLA, offering a single, simplified framework to support international recognition and confidence in accredited conformity assessment.

Further meetings during the week included the Stakeholder Committee, Development Support Committee and Communications Committee, highlighting Global ACI’s strong emphasis on external engagement, transparency and effective communication with regulators, industry and other interested parties.

The week concluded with a meeting of the General Assembly and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with key international partners, including the World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). These agreements underline Global ACI’s commitment to close cooperation with international organisations, strengthening alignment between accreditation, standardisation, regulation and global development objectives.

The General Assembly also provided members with an opportunity to align on priorities and next steps. While committees are naturally in their early forming and norming stages, discussions demonstrated strong momentum and a shared commitment to success. Considerable progress was made in clarifying terms of reference, committee structures and approaches to sub‑committees and working groups, laying solid foundations for effective and inclusive delivery.

Overall, the launch of Global ACI represents a positive and forward‑looking step for the global accreditation community, offering greater alignment, reduced duplication and a stronger collective voice. For members such as UKAS, it provides an enhanced platform to influence international accreditation policy, support global confidence in accredited conformity assessment, and deliver tangible benefits for regulators, businesses and consumers alike.

The post Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated Launches as Global ACI, Strengthening Global Alignment in Accreditation appeared first on UKAS.

Just how bad for you is eating sugar? And why is fruit still a good option - even though it has lots of sugar?

Government his its interim target of 65% of patients in England being treated within 18 weeks.

Wegovy and Mounjaro are available to certain patients on the NHS, and can also be bought privately.

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, Ahead of Print.
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Action on Salt & Sugar said people should not be exposed to a "hidden health risk every time they buy lunch".

A report by a cross-party group of MPs has found the majority of skin cancer cases are preventable.

Watch Morning Live here

Authorities urged patients to get tested due to "poor infection control practices" at the Australian clinic.

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, Ahead of Print.
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Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundA growing body of evidence suggests that male infertility is a precursor to future health problems. This study aimed to develop a unique circulating biomarker that could contribute to the diagnosis of male infertility.Materials and methodsThe ...

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundSample stability represents a major challenge in the preanalytical phase of urinalysis. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the stability of urine samples stored at room temperature for up to 72 h in two commercially available chlorhexidine-...