Accreditation provides independent and impartial recognition that a service demonstrates high levels of quality. This means that patients can feel confident in their liver service and be assured of receiving high quality consistent care.

There are many benefits of accreditation for services, commissioners and patients, including:

A number of the accreditation programmes managed by the Royal College of Physicians are supported by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Professor Ted Baker, CQC's Chief Inspector of Hospitals, says 'participation in approved accreditation schemes ... is an important way that providers can demonstrate they have robust processes for learning, continuous improvement and innovation and is something we consider in our assessments of independents and NHS providers'.

Accreditation provides a sense of pride for liver services in being able to show that it offers a well-led, patient centred and safe service. Accreditation departments can also be more attractive to potential employees and trainees.

The programme was launched in July 2017 by the Royal College of Physicians' accreditation unit, who also oversee several other clinical service accreditation programmes, including:

• endoscopy - Joint Advisory Group on GI endoscopy (JAG)
• primary immunodeficiency
• allergy
• pulmonary rehabilitation
• diabetes care.