Communicating Radiation Benefit and Risk Information to Individuals Under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R)

IR(ME)R 2024

Please note this guidance is currently being updated in line with the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, which came into force on October 1st 2024. These changes are necessary to ensure compliance with the latest regulations, reflecting updated practices for radiation protection and patient safety in medical imaging and radiotherapy. For more information, please see here. 

Introduction 

The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017, and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2018 came into force on 6th February 2018 in accordance with the European Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

The Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR) considers this a timely opportunity for employers (and radiography departments) to reevaluate governance processes around the regulatory framework, in particular the new Schedule 2 (i), requirement for employer’s written procedures for exposures to include procedures: “providing that wherever practicable, and prior to an exposure taking place, the individual to be exposed or their representative is provided with adequate information relating to the benefits and risks associated with the radiation dose from the exposure”.

Reference information – The Society and College of Radiographers (2019). Communicating Radiation Benefit and Risk Information to Individuals Under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) [online] [date accessed].