A few readers have taken this article to represent a formal proposal from the Association for Clinical Biochemistry’ (ACB) to harmonise laboratory profiles. The brief editorial comment introducing this article was in fact misleading in referring to ‘the Association for Clinical Biochemistry’s draft proposals’ Although it should be clear from the article itself, readers should note that the Association for Clinical Biochemistry’s (ACB) commissioned the original work by its Clinical Practice Section, and supported the work of the Section to collate, review and publish the opinions of the many contributors to the proposals described in this Analysis article, but that the article itself is aimed at stimulating debate and is not a statement of ACB policy. Any formal proposal from the ACB would follow and not precede this debate.

Competing interests: None declared