Registration

UKPIN encourages all Centres caring for patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) to annually register with the network. This process is intended to provide a current source of centralised information on availability of specialist services and numbers of patients with diagnosed PID disorders across the UK. The accrued information is utilised to inform strategic discussions with healthcare planners, commissioners, managers, patients and the Immunology community on matters relating to PID. Centres can register with UKPIN by completion of a short, standard document (accessed via link on the left of this page). Registration is a stand-alone process for PID Centres but is also necessary as a prelude to assessment for accreditation.

Accreditation

The UKPIN accreditation scheme for PID centres was set up in 2000 following the findings of a Department of Health-sponsored national audit of PID services. The intention of the scheme is to improve the care of PID patients through the development of common approaches to diagnosis, care, support and management by means of setting consensus standards of practice and service organisation. Following an inital pilot phase the accreditation scheme became established in 2007 under the direction of a Network Accreditation Committee. Within the scheme, PID services are evaluated against agreed and ratified standards which are re-evaluated and updated as necessary by UK PIN. The process involves an initial self-assessment of local service compliance with the standards followed by formal application for accreditation and external peer review through consideration of information supplied in the application by the Accreditation Committee and a site assessment visit by professional specialty assessors.

Links to the accreditation application form and background information on the accreditation standards and process can be found on the left hand side of this page.