This course is essential for all non-medical referrers, including nurses, allied health professionals, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics, speech and language therapists, podiatrists and others who refer patients for medical imaging.
Medical imaging such as X-ray and CT use ionising radiation, and so it is crucial that all referrers who refer patients for imaging understand the risks of radiation and what information is needed in a referral to enable the radiology department to process the referral and justify or authorise the exposure to radiation.
About this course
It comprises approximately 30 minutes of narrated video content divided into digestible short chunks, together with test questions throughout and an assessment at the end, awarding a CPD certificate. The course should take a total of 1 hour to complete. Footage includes illustrations, animations, live action and recorded interviews.
The course is comprehensive, written by some of the UK’s foremost radiation safety professionals working in clinical settings, peer reviewed, and with contributions from leading experts. It uses proven educational techniques to make it engaging and memorable and it is designed to be relevant to the practical needs of busy professionals.
The content has been adapted from Radiation Safety 2021, which was written by Sue Baillie (Chief Radiographer St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London) and Bruce Walmsley (Consultant Clinical Scientist and Radiation Protection Adviser, St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London).
This course has been Approved by the Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) until 30 September 2026. This course also provides 1 CPD credit in accordance with the CPD Scheme of The Royal College of Radiologists.
Course sections
Section 1: Radiation Protection Essentials
Section 2: Legislation controlling use of X-rays — Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations, IR(ME)R
Section 3: Patient pathway—Referral to Report
Section 4: Governance requirements for Non-Medical Referrers to radiology
Course Contributors
Course Directors:
Helen Hughes (Head of Quality & Governance Radiology, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board)
Elly Castellano (Medical Physicist, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust)
Expert Panel:
Amanda Webster (Radiation Safety/QA Lead, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Cristiona Logan (Governance Lead Radiographer, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland)
Interviewees:
Steve Ebdon-Jackson (Consultant, Regulation of Medical Exposures)
James Taylor (HM Principal Specialist Inspector (Radiation), FOD Radiation Team, HSE)
Amy Eccles (Consultant Radiologist, Nuclear Medicine, Guys and St. Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London)
Christine Peacock (Radiology Services Manager, Royal Brompton Hospital, London
Content amended from Radiation Safety 2021, which was written by Sue Baillie (Chief Radiographer, St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London) and Bruce Walmsley (Consultant Clinical Scientist and Radiation Protection Adviser, St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London).
PRICE
Standard: £65.99
BIR members: £55.99
Prices are for a 12 month licence to view video content and complete the test. The course transcript, user notes and CPD certificate can be downloaded and kept indefinitely.
Still not sure? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions