Reviewed 23 December 2008

United Kingdom (UK) Patent Office becomes first to win international quality award twice

Today, the UK Patent Office received ISO 9001:2000 re-certification for its pre-grant patenting process. The award was also extended to cover its Search and Advisory Service operation. It is the first patent office in the world to gain re-certification and this confirms it as a centre for quality and excellence.

Sean Dennehey, Director of Patents, said:

"This is a tremendous achievement. Retaining this international standard is an independent confirmation of how seriously we take quality and meeting the needs of our customers. It is a tribute to the commitment, training and hard work of everyone in The Patent Office who deliver patents with a high presumption of validity and high quality search services. Our customers can be confident that we are committed to excellence and to continuous improvement in the delivery of all our services."

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assessor, from leading international certification body Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd (LRQA), singled out "the dedication and enthusiasm of staff" and praised "the culture of continuous improvement".

This ISO approval sits alongside The Patent Office's fifth Charter Mark Award in 2005 for excellence in public service. As an Investor in People, the Office has also demonstrated continuing commitment to giving staff the right training and development opportunities to enable them to contribute directly to the overall effectiveness of the organisation.

Editor notes:

  • ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from more than 140 countries. ISO's work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards. More information is available on the ISO website External Link.

  • ISO 9001:2000 is the International Standard for quality management systems and is one of the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards. More details are available.

  • Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd established in 1985, is an international certification body for ISO 9001:2000 and other international and national standards. For more information, please view the LRQA website External Link .

Date of release: 10 March 2006