General Scheme
Specialist Techniques
The Specialist Techniques Scheme assesses special stains through the distribution of known target material, for 2 designated specialist stained sections on a rotational basis from the list below.
Staining Criteria Handbook available in Members' Area
No. of assessment runs:
6 distributions over a 12 month period
Stains assessed:
Selected / In-house Material
Distributed Material
Special A
Diastase / PAS
Elastin / van Gieson
Gram
Perls’ Prussian blue
Reticulin (silver method for)
Ziehl-Neelsen
Distributed Material
Special B
Alcian blue / PAS
Amyloid (method for)
Grocott
Haematoxylin / van Gieson
Masson-Fontana
Martius-scarlet-blue (MSB)
Copper Associated Protein(method for)
Trichrome
Special stains A & B are designated on the accompanying delivery letter issued with each assessment run.
Two pairs of unstained sections are provided to each participant for staining by the special stain methods directed on the accompanying delivery letter, with one of each to be submitted for assessment.
If a method is not specified, the laboratory / organisation is free to use any suitable technique to demonstrate the target. Intermittently unstained sections are provided to each participant for staining by H&E, to allow assessment of participants staining only.
UK NEQAS CPT also offers an Evaluation Service for registered participants, allowing participating laboratories to submit slides for evaluation that are not part of the run assessments (see Evaluation Service).
