Radiology

Radiology, or Imaging, is at the heart of modern medicine and it is estimated by the Society of Radiographers that more than 90 per cent of patients have a form of imaging or scan during their time within hospital. Imaging services are used for fast and accurate diagnosis of many conditions. Once a clinical assessment has been carried out by a Doctor, imaging can be used to diagnose and be part of the treatment process. Radiologists and Radiographers select appropriate techniques following the assessment carried out by the Doctor.

The aim of the department is to produce a diagnosis using Ionising Radiation following ‘As Low As Reasonably Practicable Principle’ (ALARP) to ensure that radiation exposure is kept to a minimum. When an imaging request is made, the benefits of the scan and the findings outweigh the risk of any radiation exposure and the imaging is requested in the patient’s best interest.

Services that we provide within our department include:

• X-ray, plain film
• CT scans (Computerised Tomography)
• Ultrasound
• MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Information for referrers

Referrers to Medway NHS Foundation Trust’s Radiology/Imaging Departments (including Sheppey Community Hospital and Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital) include:

• All registered medical and dental practitioners employed by the Trust
• Registered healthcare professionals from the Trust and Medway Community Healthcare referring under agreed protocols
• General Practitioners
• Nurse practitioners and other registered healthcare professionals referring to the Trust under agreed protocols
• Registered dental practitioners referring from the Community Dental Service and private practice
• Registered medical and dental practitioners not employed by the Trust, referring from other NHS Trusts or private hospitals.

All patient referrals to the Trust for an X-ray, scan or nuclear medicine examination, should follow the recommended referral guidelines. This is important to make sure all requests are appropriate and justifiable, and patient delays can be avoided.

For registered healthcare professionals other than General Practitioners, it is also important for there to be an agreement with the Trust to refer. If you work within a GP practice, then this agreement should be set up through your practice.

Key referral criteria

iRefer Guidelines: Making the best use of clinical radiology (The Royal College of Radiologists)

For advice on setting up an agreement to refer for registered healthcare professionals, other than medical or dental practitioners, or regarding referral guidelines, please contact Imaging Radiation Protection Coordinator Sarah Lee on email  sarah.lee27@nhs.net or 01634 976896 or through the Switchboard on 01634 830000.

Our service is QSI Accredited (Quality Standards in Imaging), previously ISAS.  This is a CQC recognised scheme. We have been accredited since 2012 and have maintained the high-quality service that is expected from this scheme. We are one of approximately 30 imaging services within the UK to have obtained this accreditation.