Hematologist
CION Cancer Clinics
NABL accreditation and your blood tests | CION Cancer Clinics
A NABL-accredited haematology lab has been independently assessed against ISO 15189, the international standard for medical labs, and is reassessed over time. It shows the lab follows checked processes for samples, tests and reports. It does not prove every report is correct, and it covers only the tests in the lab's scope. This page explains what to check and what to ask. At CION Cancer Clinics, our haematologist reviews abnormal blood reports with you, orders only the tests that answer your question and explains each result plainly.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Basudev PokhrelConsultant Haematologist · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What does NABL accreditation mean for a haematology lab?
- What do assessors actually check in an accredited lab?
- How can you check whether a lab is NABL accredited?
- What does accreditation tell you, and what does it not?
- What do families often get wrong about accredited labs?
- What do the accreditation words mean?
- How should accreditation shape your choices?
- Common questions about NABL-accredited haematology labs
The short answer
What does NABL accreditation mean for a haematology lab?
A NABL-accredited lab has been independently checked against an international standard for medical laboratories, and is checked again at regular intervals. It tells you the lab follows set processes for handling samples, running tests and reporting results. It does not tell you that every report it issues is correct.
Who NABL is
NABL is the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. It works under the Quality Council of India. For medical labs it assesses against ISO 15189, the international standard written for medical testing. Accreditation in India is voluntary, so many labs work without it.
Why it matters more for blood tests
Many blood disorders are diagnosed almost entirely in the lab. A leukaemia, a lymphoma or a marrow failure is confirmed by smears, marrow samples, flow cytometry and genetic tests. Each depends on careful sample handling and trained readers. Accreditation is one sign that the lab takes those steps seriously and allows outside checking.
This page explains what accreditation covers. It cannot tell you whether a particular lab or report is right for your case.Behind the certificate
What do assessors actually check in an accredited lab?
An assessment looks at the whole path of a sample, not only the machines.
People and training
Whether staff who collect, process and report samples are qualified, trained for each test, and checked on their competence over time.
Equipment and methods
Whether machines are maintained and calibrated, and whether each test method has been checked to give reliable results in that lab.
Daily quality checks
Whether the lab runs control samples with known results alongside patient samples, and acts when a control goes out of range.
Also looked at
- Outside proficiency testing
- How errors are recorded and fixed
Samples and records
Whether samples are labelled, tracked and stored properly, and whether reports, slides and records can be traced back to the right patient.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistChecking for yourself
How can you check whether a lab is NABL accredited?
Look at the report
Accredited labs often print the NABL mark and a certificate number on reports. A logo alone is not proof, so treat it as a starting point.
Search the NABL directory
The NABL website lists accredited medical labs. Search by the lab's name or city, and check that the certificate is current.
Read the scope
Accreditation covers a listed set of tests, not everything a lab does. Check that the test on your report, such as flow cytometry, is in that list.
Ask the lab directly
A good lab will tell you which of your tests fall inside its scope and which were sent to another lab.
Side by side
What does accreditation tell you, and what does it not?
It does tell you
It does not tell you
The lab follows written, checked processes
That every single report is correct
Its listed tests were assessed by outsiders
That tests outside the scope meet the same standard
It takes part in outside quality checks
How experienced the reader is with rare blood cancers
Samples and records can be traced
Whether the right tests were chosen for your case
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Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about accredited labs?
"An accredited lab never makes mistakes."
Accreditation lowers the chance of avoidable errors and means mistakes are looked for and corrected. It does not remove them. Blood cancer reports can still be unclear, and a specialist review of the slides can still be useful.
"A lab without NABL is a bad lab."
Accreditation is voluntary in India. Some careful labs have not applied, or have accredited only some tests. Without it you simply have less outside proof, so ask more questions about who read the result and which checks the lab runs.
"If the lab is accredited, every test on the report
is covered."
Only the tests listed in the lab's scope are covered. Specialised tests, such as some genetic tests, are often sent to another lab. The report should say where each test was done.
"Repeating the test at an accredited lab is always
the safer choice."
A repeat marrow test means another needle and more waiting. Often the existing slides can be reviewed instead. Your haematologist can tell you which makes more sense.
On the report or certificate
What do the accreditation words mean?
- ISO 15189
- The international standard for quality and competence in medical laboratories. NABL assesses medical labs against it.
- Scope of accreditation
- The list of tests the accreditation covers. Anything not on the list was not part of the assessment.
- Internal quality control
- Samples with known results that the lab runs alongside yours, to show the machines and methods are working that day.
- External quality assessment or proficiency testing
- An outside body sends unknown samples to many labs and compares their answers. It shows how the lab performs against others.
- Referred or outsourced test
- A test your lab sent to another lab. Its quality depends on that other lab.
Being practical
How should accreditation shape your choices?
Use accreditation as one sign among several, not as the final word. For a suspected blood cancer, who reads the result and which tests are run matter just as much.
When you are choosing where to test
Ask your doctor where the sample should go. Ask whether the lab is accredited for the specific tests needed, whether it handles blood cancer samples often, and whether specialised tests are done there or sent elsewhere. If you live in a district, ask how the sample will travel and how long it can safely wait.
When you already have a report
Do not throw it out because the lab was not accredited, and do not treat it as beyond question because it was. Keep every report and ask for the slides and blocks to be stored. CION's haematology team can review reports from any lab, discuss the case at a tumour board, and arrange further tests through qualified labs where they are needed.
We will tell you plainly whether a slide review or a fresh sample makes more sense, and why.Questions we are asked
Common questions about NABL-accredited haematology labs
Is NABL accreditation compulsory for labs in India?
No. It is voluntary, so many labs work without it. Some government schemes, hospitals and insurers prefer accredited labs, but rules differ and change. If a scheme or insurer is paying for your tests, ask them whether they require an accredited lab before the sample is sent.
My report has a NABL logo. Does that cover my test?
Not necessarily. The logo shows the lab holds accreditation for some tests. Check the lab's scope on the NABL website, or ask the lab, to see whether your specific test is covered. Reports often mark which tests were accredited and which were referred to another lab.
Does an accredited lab give faster results?
Not always. Accreditation is about quality and traceability, not speed. Some haematology tests, especially genetic ones, take time wherever they are done, and some labs group samples before running them. Ask the lab which results come first and whether a partial report can be shared with your doctor.
Two accredited labs gave different results. How is that possible?
The samples may have been taken at different times, from different sites, or tested with different methods. Readers can also disagree on unusual cells. This page cannot tell you which is right. A haematologist should compare both, ideally with the original slides, before any treatment decision is made.
Is a non-accredited lab report still useful?
Often, yes. It still records what was seen at that time, and the slides may be reviewable. A haematologist will judge how much weight to give it. Some findings may need confirming, especially before a blood cancer diagnosis is accepted and treatment is planned.
Does accreditation cover bone marrow tests?
It can, if marrow tests are listed in the lab's scope. Marrow work also depends on how the sample was collected, which often happens at a hospital rather than in the lab itself. Ask both who collected the sample and whether the lab that read it is accredited for that test.
Should I travel to a city lab instead of testing locally?
Ask your doctor first. Routine counts can usually be done locally. Specialised tests may need a city lab, and many can receive samples by courier so you do not have to travel. What matters is that the sample is packed and sent correctly and reaches the lab in time.
Can CION tell me whether my lab report is reliable?
CION's haematology team can read your reports, tell you what they show, point out anything that seems missing, and advise whether a slide review or further tests are worth arranging through qualified labs. Bring every report you have, along with the lab names and sample numbers.
Your Haematologist
Meet CION's haematologist. One specialist for your blood report and your plan.
Dr. Basudev Pokhrel reviews blood counts, transfusion needs and blood disorders, and works with the CION tumour board on blood cancers.
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Sources
- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories — NABL India
- International Organization for Standardization — ISO 15189 Medical laboratories
- National Cancer Institute — Understanding Laboratory Tests
- American Society of Hematology — Blood Basics
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Why the Lab Matters in Haematology DiagnosisHow sample handling and reading shape the diagnosisFlow Cytometry Quality and Panel AdequacyWhether enough markers were testedWhen Two Haematology Reports DisagreeIf two labs gave different answersSending Samples Outside Your CityTesting from a district without travelling
Talk to us
Unsure how much to trust a blood report?
Share it with us. CION's haematology team will read it and tell you whether a slide review or further tests make sense. One helpline serves every CION centre.