A method for assessing the quality of staining of a specimen containing cells comprising the steps of: ∘ providing a plurality of said specimens of the same type, said specimens containing cells, A: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining control specimen(s) ▪ providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s), ▪ providing a digital image of at least one reference specimen, wherein said reference specimen(s) is one of said specimen containing cells having been stained according to said predetermined staining protocol and wherein said staining has been validated, or B: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining a reference specimen (s), ▪ providing a digital image of each of said reference specimen(s), wherein said staining has been validated, ▪ forwarding at least one specimen to a working laboratory to be stained according to said predetermined staining protocol in order to obtain control specimen(s), ▪ receiving from said working laboratory • at least one control specimen and providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) or • a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) and: ∘ calculating at least one reference quality parameter value relating to the staining of the reference specimen(s) and at least one control quality parameter value relating to the staining of said control specimen(s), ∘ correlating the at least one reference quality parameter value with said at least one control quality parameter value, thereby obtaining a measure for the quality of staining of the specimen. ∘ providing a plurality of said specimens of the same type, said specimens containing cells, A: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining control specimen(s) ▪ providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s), ▪ providing a digital image of at least one reference specimen, wherein said reference specimen(s) is one of said specimen containing cells having been stained according to said predetermined staining protocol and wherein said staining has been validated, or B: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining a reference specimen (s), ▪ providing a digital image of each of said reference specimen(s), wherein said staining has been validated, ▪ forwarding at least one specimen to a working laboratory to be stained according to said predetermined staining protocol in order to obtain control specimen(s), ▪ receiving from said working laboratory • at least one control specimen and providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) or • a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) and: A: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining control specimen(s) ▪ providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s), ▪ providing a digital image of at least one reference specimen, wherein said reference specimen(s) is one of said specimen containing cells having been stained according to said predetermined staining protocol and wherein said staining has been validated, ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining control specimen(s) ▪ providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s), ▪ providing a digital image of at least one reference specimen, wherein said reference specimen(s) is one of said specimen containing cells having been stained according to said predetermined staining protocol and wherein said staining has been validated, or B: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining a reference specimen (s), ▪ providing a digital image of each of said reference specimen(s), wherein said staining has been validated, ▪ forwarding at least one specimen to a working laboratory to be stained according to said predetermined staining protocol in order to obtain control specimen(s), ▪ receiving from said working laboratory • at least one control specimen and providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) or • a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) and: ▪ staining at least one of said specimens according to a predetermined staining protocol thereby obtaining a reference specimen (s), ▪ providing a digital image of each of said reference specimen(s), wherein said staining has been validated, ▪ forwarding at least one specimen to a working laboratory to be stained according to said predetermined staining protocol in order to obtain control specimen(s), ▪ receiving from said working laboratory • at least one control specimen and providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) or • a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) and: • at least one control specimen and providing a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) or • a digital image of each of said control specimen(s) and: ∘ calculating at least one reference quality parameter value relating to the staining of the reference specimen(s) and at least one control quality parameter value relating to the staining of said control specimen(s), ∘ correlating the at least one reference quality parameter value with said at least one control quality parameter value, thereby obtaining a measure for the quality of staining of the specimen.