Search 

• Advanced search

Home > Our Work > NHS Wales > Inspections > Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R)

Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R)

Healthcare organisations that use radiation for medical purposes must comply with the ‘Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations’ (IR(ME)R). In Wales, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and reporting healthcare organisations' compliance with IR(ME)R.

The regulations are designed to ensure that:

• Patients are protected from unintended, excessive or incorrect exposure to medical radiation and that, in each case, the risk from exposure is assessed against the clinical benefit (justification),

• Patients receive no more exposure than necessary to achieve the desired benefit within the limits of current technology (optimisation),

• Volunteers in medical research programmes are protected.

The regulations place responsibilities on practitioners, operators, those who refer patients for medical exposure and the employers of these three groups. The employer is required under the regulations to create a framework for the safe, efficient and effective delivery of ionising radiation by the provision of standard operating procedures and protocols. A breach of the Regulations can result in the issue of prohibition, improvement notices or criminal proceedings.

Links to Further Information

Notification of IR(ME)R Incidents

IR(ME)R Inspection Programme

IR(ME)R Published Reports

IR(ME)R Information & Guidance