RCR Responds To Healthcare Commission Report On Patients' Exposure To Ionising Radiation

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Article Date: 14 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) welcomes this report from the Healthcare Commission (HCC), the first report since it took on the responsibility for monitoring compliance with the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations. The College is pleased to see the adoption of a risk-based approach to regulation, with targeting of those incidents most likely to result in harm to patients. It is reassuring to note that the number of such incidents is small in relation to the number of exposures.

Dr Gill Markham, Dean of the RCR's Faculty of Radiology, said, "The highlighting of patient identification errors as one of the leading causes of incidents in diagnostic imaging accords with our experience. We were pleased to see the acknowledgement that many of these result from errors by referrers at ward and clinic level. These are difficult or impossible to detect once the patient reaches the imaging department. Any assistance the HCC can offer to radiologists and radiographers in highlighting the importance of good referral practice to clinicians will be valuable."

Dr Michael Williams, Dean of the RCR's Faculty of Oncology, said, "Radiotherapy has a good safety record but continual vigilance is required because of the high doses used in the treatment of cancer. We welcome the programme of regular inspection of radiotherapy departments, and look forward to working with the HCC to identify what can be done by providers to improve safety."

Notes

1. For further information, please contact the Royal College of Radiologists' Communications Officer on 020 7299 1138, or dan_garbutt@rcr.ac.uk

2. The report can be downloaded from the Healthcare Commission's website

3. The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has approximately 7,500 members and Fellows worldwide representing the disciplines of clinical oncology and clinical radiology. All members and Fellows of the College are registered medical or dental practitioners.

Royal College of Radiologists

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