Room for improvement in UK radiology services
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK NHS could save over £20 million ($30 million) a year by eliminating unnecessary X-ray examinations, according to a UK health services watchdog. A report from the Audit Commission quotes 1990 figures which indicate up to 20% of X-rays contribute almost nothing to the clinical care of patients and may be merely a "technological placebo" offered by referring hospital doctors and GPs. The report, which calls for a reorganisation of UK diagnostic imaging departments, also highlights inequities in the availability of high-tech equipment and deficient monitoring by radiology departments into how their assets are used.