30 July 2015
BIR response to Royal College of Radiologists’ national audit of paediatric X-ray services
The report from the Royal College of Radiologists’ paediatric imaging audit is disturbing and raises concerns over the safety of performing and reporting imaging in children. The NHS currently relies on already over-stretched general radiologists and radiographers to obtain and report these images which should be done by specialists.
The current time pressures and clinical work load on these staff mean there is no time for specialist training and refresher courses to ensure the maintenance of high quality care that these professionals wish to provide. The lack of recognition of paediatric radiology and radiography as a subspeciality within the professions and the wider healthcare system also results in little interest in this vital area outside major centres.
This is a worldwide issue: the two main radiological societies (ESR, RSNA) will this year highlight the contribution that specialised paediatric radiologists make as part of the International Day of Radiology.
We support any additional resources (infrastructure or staffing), including technological advances to improve image transfer to specialist centres (to develop a robust network of expertise) to ensure the delivery of high quality services for this population.
The RCR report can be downloaded here: https://www.rcr.ac.uk/sites/default/files/auditreport_paediatricrad.pdf
International Day of Radiology http://www.internationaldayofradiology.com/
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