Quality statement

The Northern Ireland Regional Immunology Service (NIRIS) is committed to providing a laboratory and clinical service of the highest quality and is aware and takes into account,  the needs and requirements of our patients and users. The recent version of our quality policy is available on request.

Scope of NIRIS

NIRIS includes the Regional Immunology Laboratory and Clinical services and is based on the Royal Hospitals site of the Belfast Health and Social Care trust (BHSCT). NIRIS is the only provider of specialist immunology and allergy services in Northern Ireland.

The laboratory is United Kingdom Accreditation Service accredited   http://ukas.com

Laboratory testing information is available at 

https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/service/laboratory-services/laboratories-user-manual/

Clinical Service

We  provide outpatient and day case clinical services as well as consultative advice to colleagues in primary and secondary care across the  region. Waiting times for all clinics are monitored and discussed at monthly multi-disciplinary management meetings

We work closely with colleagues throughout the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

We achieved accreditation to the standards of the United Kingdom Primary Immunodeficiency Network (UKPIN: www.ukpin.org.uk) in 2014 and have maintained that status under the subsequently developed QPIDS scheme ( http://www.qpids.org.uk )

We are in the final preparation of planning for inspection of our allergy services under the auspices of the related IQAS scheme ( http://www.iqas.org.uk )

We contribute to the United Kingdom Primary Immunodeficiency (UKPID) Registry                     

As founding members of the Immunology Group of Ireland (IgI), subsequently the Irish Academy of Allergy and Immunology (IAAI), we have close links with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland and meet regularly to present and discuss current clinical issues. 

The department is recognised for Higher Medical Training in Immunology by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB). 

The department supports and encourages clinically relevant research and there is a close relationship with the immunology research group at Queens University.  The group is part of the Centre for Infection and Immunity at Queen's University Belfast (http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/CentreforInfectionandImmunity/) and thereby benefits from interactions with scientists from many other disciplines.