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EQA

UK National Liver Histopathology EQA Scheme









This specialist histopathology EQA scheme is open to histopathologists in the UK and Ireland. Members include pathologists with a specialist interest in liver pathology working in hepatology centres, and also pathologists in district hospitals wishing to maintain and develop their interest in hepatopathology. The scheme is also open to senior trainee histopathologists in the UK.

The primary purpose of this scheme is educational - to provide CPD material both to the members through participation in twice-yearly slide circulations, and to non-members through access to the virtual slides and PowerPoint summaries of previous open meeting discussions.

EQAlite

For convenience, the help for EQAlite participants is also available here pdf document symbol.
This includes logging in, slide circulation, certificates, and slide submission.


Current circulation

The next circulation L26_A Spring 2026 will commence on Monday 7th April
This is due to close at midnight on Wednesday 13th May

The EQA cases will be discussed at a virtual meeting planned for early June (Date TBC).

Please remember to send in suitable cases that you would like to see included in the EQA scheme so that it is representative of our usual working practice – including medical and targeted liver biopsies and resection specimens.


General items


The current SOPs are here. Previous versions are in the archive section at the foot of this page.

New case submission form


  • Please submit new cases on line via EQAlite, using the link http://www.histopathologyeqa.org/ external site symbol and go to [submit cases], click on [new].
  • Follow the instructions on the EQAlite website - these ask you to SAVE AND PRINT the case submission form to produce a hard copy to send with the case. Once you've done that, then click on SUMBIT when the case is sent to forward the details to the organisers.
  • The address for cases is:
    Kara O'Connell / Liver EQA Secretaries,
    Histopathology Department,
    Level 5 Bexley Wing,
    St James's University Hospital,
    Leeds. LS9 7TF
  • In 2021 we changed to digital-only EQA rounds, and don't need spare copies of the slides. Please send an H&E section and one slide each of any special stains you think are necessary for reporting. Enter these in the 'immunohistochemistry' box on the case submission form (any stains, not just immunos). The slides will be scanned and returned to you in due course, although this may take some time. (You can of course still send spare sections if you prefer - if obviously a copy, we will not return the slide).
  • For biopsies of chronic liver disease, please include a glass slide of a connective tissue stain, so that evaluation can include the stage of the disease.

New Members:

The scheme is accepting new members who are consultant histopathologists in the UK or Ireland, who have responsibility for reporting liver biopsies in specialist centres or in a DGH setting. In the RCPath Tissue Pathways for Medical Liver Biopsies, is recommended that pathologists who are the lead for liver in their Trust are members of the scheme.

The scheme is also open to senior trainee histopathologists in the UK. They will receive a score based on the consensus criteria of the collated consultant members responses.

You can register for the scheme using the link http://www.histopathologyeqa.org/ external site symbol


Contact email addresses


  • Organiser: (Dr Rachel Brown) Rachel.Brown@uhb.nhs.uk
  • Deputy organiser: (Dr Alyn Cratchley) Alyn.Cratchley@nhs.net
  • Facilitators: Kara O'Connell telephone 0113 2068951 or 0113 2068983, email leedsth-tr.liver.eqa@nhs.net

Previous circulations


Liver EQA archive