All accreditation assessments are undertaken by trained assessors. The assessors are all highly skilled endoscopists who have:

    • been accredited as bowel screening endoscopists
    • undertaken assessor training
    • successfully completed the ongoing quality assurance requirements.

During the assessor training, prospective assessors carry out a direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) and direct observation of polypectomy skills (DOPyS) assessment. Assessors must demonstrate that they are familiar with all aspects of the DOPS/DOPyS assessment and able to use the assessment proformas, as well as being able to adequately use the descriptors to determine whether a domain has been achieved or not. The training aims to ensure that all assessors are able to assess candidates fairly with a high degree of reliability.

On every assessment, there are two assessors to help support the reliability of judgements made in assessing candidates. 

Assessor performance is monitored on an ongoing basis by reviewing their scoring of candidates and from feedback received from their fellow assessor and candidates. The outcomes of assessments have demonstrated strong concordance between assessors.

Assessors are required to assess at least six candidates annually in the first instance.