This handbook is intended as an introduction for managers and professionals to the concept of health service accreditation as it exists in the USA, Australia, Canada and, more briefly, in New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and Yugoslavia. The models described are not intended as a blue print for a UK system but offer established working models for organisational audit. As such it is hoped that they may provide a starting point for a discussion of the applicability of a national standard setting exercise in this country.