In this section
In This Section
UKHSA (formerly PHE) Medical Exposures Group
The Medical Exposures Group (MEG) in UK Health Security Agency is a multi-disciplinary group of clinically trained and experienced clinical scientists and radiographers from Diagnostic Imaging (DI), Nuclear Medicine (NM) and Radiotherapy (RT).
MEG has an important role in improving patient safety in medical exposures across the UK.
The team provide advice on radiation protection and regulation with particular regard to the requirements of IR(ME)R 2017 (2018 NI).
MEG Officers support the IR(ME)R enforcing authorities in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The SoR work closely with MEG on matters related to radiation protection and IR(ME)R.
Society for Radiological Protection
The UK Associate Society affiliated to the International Radiation Protection Association. It is a major Scientific Society for all who are professionally concerned with the safety aspects of ionising and non-ionising radiation in education, central and local government, industry, medicine and research.
Health and Safety Executive
For all general and operational enquiries about radiation please see HSE
Email: [email protected]; Tel:0845 345 0055
HSE's Policy section email address for ionising radiation is [email protected]
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
IPEM is the professional organisation for physicists, engineers and technologists working in healthcare.
The Medical and Dental Guidance Notes (2002) is a very useful publication and acts as a good practice guide on all aspects of ionising radiation protection in the clinical environment. It is available to purchase via the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine website. Please note the 2002 edition is currently undergoing revision.
Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE)
COMARE is an independent expert advisory committee, with members chosen for their medical and scientific expertise and recruited from universities, research and medical institutes. Members have never been drawn from the Nuclear or Electrical Power Supply Industries.The Committee offers independent advice to all Government departments and Devolved Authorities, not just the Health Departments, and is responsible for assessing and advising them on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation. It is also asked to assess the adequacy of the available data and advise on the need for further research.
The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) (2007). Twelfth Report. The impact of personally initiated X-ray computed tomography scanning for the health assessment of asymptomatic individuals. Health Protection Agency, December 2007 – available to download here.
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)
ICRP is a well-established non-governmental scientific organisation, based in Sweden, which has published recommendations for radiation protection for more than 50 years. ICRP has published recommendations on an agreed framework of radiation protection. These are used as a basis for European Directives and their implementation into national legislation. They have produced evidenced-based guidelines on areas of dose limits and constraints for radiation exposures, including medical uses.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
MHRAis the Government agency which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. The term 'medical device' covers all products, except medicines, used in healthcare for the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring or treatment of illness or disability. The range of products is very wide: it includes equipment for radiotherapy purposes (brachytherapy and external beam), as well as all x-ray units, ultrasound and CT/MR scanners.
Department for Environment, food and rural affairs (Defra)
Defra's aim is to protect and improve the environment, and to integrate the environment with other policies across Government and in international fora. Effective protection of the environment requires activity on many wide-ranging different fronts – radioactivity being one such example.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
IAEAhas an excellent radiation protection website filled with current research articles, standards, publications and free training resources excellent for CPD purposes. Information is available about the safe use of radiation in the following modalities:
- Radiotherapy;
- Radiology;
- Nuclear Medicine;
- Interventional Radiology;
- Other Specialities & Imaging Modalities;
- Interventional Cardiology.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a very useful website relating to the use of ionising radiations in medicine and in particular about radiation protection matters pertaining to their use.
The link to their website, Radiation Protection of Patients (RPOP).
The website is geared towards patients and the public and details safety information for all of the different modalities used in radiology and radiotherapy. It has a separate section for healthcare professionals, such as radiographers, which you can find via this link. This section also details specific international standards for each area of practice, the latest journal and news radiation protection articles, information about radiation protection events, as well as radiation protection and safety issues from around the globe. There is even a separate section relating to the protection of pregnant patients.
Radiographers can sign up for regular newsletters to be delivered to their email address via their RPOP Newsletter sign up.
The IAEA Radiation Safety Culture Trait Talks is a valuable handbook that promotes safety cultures and encourages professionals to take responsibility and have a questionning approach to radiation safety. It's 10 trait talks offer practical scenarios to imporve workplace safety culture. Download the handbook here.
International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)
IRPAaims to provide a medium whereby those engaged in radiation protection activities in all countries may communicate more readily with each other and through this process advance radiation protection in many parts of the world.
Further agencies involved in RP:
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has overall UK government policy lead responsibility for the EU Basic Safety Standards Directive.
Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) is a voluntary association in which the Heads of Radiation Protection Authorities work together in order to identify common issues and propose practical solutions. The goal of HERCA is to contribute to a high level of radiological protection throughout Europe.
The International Society of Radiographers and Radiation Technologists (ISRRT).
European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) represents, promote and develop the profession of radiography in Europe, within the whole range of medical imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy.