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Publications and standards

RCR guidance and standards cover a wide range of topics including the delivery of high-quality radiology services, guidance on good practice, use of information technology resources and workforce reports. Electronic copies of the majority of our publications are available to download free of charge. 

All of our guidance and standards are drafted by working parties including Fellows and members of the RCR.

Publications are reviewed regularly by the Clinical Radiology Professional Support and Standards Board to ensure that they remain relevant and up to date.

If you need further help please contact us by emailing: publications@rcr.ac.uk.

Clinical radiology publications 2017

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Standards for the education, training and preceptorship of reporting practitioners in adult chest X-ray -

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Clinical imaging services play a pivotal role in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of various disease processes and injuries. Patients are referred to imaging services for assistance in both diagnosis and deciding on the best subsequent management of a patient’s condition. Imaging services are therefore vital for the delivery of effective health and social care. Chest radiographs are a high-volume test, with nearly 7 million performed annually in England. Patients who have a chest X-ray (CXR) performed require accurate and timely results. The value and benefits of effective team working...
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Homeworking for radiologists -

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Current
The massive expansion of home reporting by radiologists proposed by Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and accelerated by COVID has brought many changes to the specialty. This document is intended to enable departments to harness such changes for better patient outcomes. While home reporting offers flexibility and reduced commuting as well as uninterrupted reporting time, an adequate on-site presence remains important to provide leadership for teams and appropriate input for clinical colleagues and trainees. There will be a free webinar on the guidance on 18 October from 5:30pm – 6:30pm
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Recommendations for specialists practising ultrasound independently of radiology departments: safety, governance and education -

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Current
A collaboration between The British Medical Ultrasound Society and The Royal College of Radiologists This guidance has been produced jointly by The British Medical Ultrasound Society and The Royal College of Radiologists. It offers a framework for clinical ultrasound practice, primarily aimed at ultrasound practitioners not working under the umbrella of a radiology department. Good governance is essential for the safety of the patient and protection of the practitioner. This document is intended to be used as a checklist for novice users, a reference source for experienced users and a good...
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Guidelines for nursing care in interventional radiology, Third edition -

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Current
This document outlines the issues, sets out models for nursing staff and describes the role of the interventional radiology nurse in the management of patients who are undergoing interventional radiology treatment. As trusts have a wide variety of interventional radiology work and, therefore, different nursing requirements, the document does not identify a specific model but tries to ensure that the appropriate level of nursing and nursing experience are available in every department. This document replaces the second edition of Guidelines for Nursing Care in Interventional Radiology , which...
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MRI provision for cauda equina syndrome -

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Current
The Clinical Imaging Board (CIB) representing The Royal College of Radiologists, The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine and The Society and College of Radiographers, have developed the guidance MRI provision for cauda equina syndrome . The guidance acknowledges the recommendations from the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report which highlighted the continued clinical risks to patients from the poor provision of MRI services for cauda equina syndrome. It was produced in close collaboration with GIRFT spinal services and sets the service standards for MRI provision...
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Computed tomography colonography and lower gastrointestinal cancer pathways - Planning for the next decade -

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This document represents a vision for future development of NHS CTC services and has been produced as a multidisciplinary collaboration between the British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (BSGAR), The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR), the Gastro Intestinal Radiographers Special Interest Group (GIRSIG) and other stakeholders including the National CT Colonography Training and Accreditation Programme and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI). It outlines the key components required of CTC...
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Radiology reporting figures for service planning 2022 -

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Guidance and tools to assist services with resource planning and to establish methods for calculating service capacity.
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Clinical radiology job planning guidance for consultant and SAS doctors 2022 -

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Workforce pressures in clinical radiology (CR) have continued to grow, with more clinical radiologists retiring early or working less than full-time (LTFT), and the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the workplace forever. In this context, the job planning process is more important than ever to ensure hospitals support a workforce that is able to deliver the excellent clinical care to which we all aspire. This document aims to provide clear direction on how radiologists should aim to work in a supportive environment. It is hoped that this document will provide clear advice for every consultant and...
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Recommendations on alerts and notification of imaging reports -

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The main objective of this guidance is to ensure prompt and effective imaging result notification and its subsequent action to protect patient safety. It has been developed through a collaborative effort from a multidisciplinary working group including The Royal College of Radiologists, The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, The Society of Radiographers, The Royal College of Physicians, The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, The Royal College of General Practitioners, The Royal College of Surgeons, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and NHS Digital.
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Evidence-based indications for the use of PET-CT in the United Kingdom 2022 -

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Current
These guidelines mark the 30th anniversary of clinical positron emission tomography (PET) in the UK. Since its introduction into the UK clinical practice in 1992 by Professor Michael Maisey, PET, followed by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), has become a key multimodality molecular imaging technique in the assessment of a wide range of medical conditions. Now in its fourth edition, this 2022 document provides updated indications with key references underpinning the use of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and non-FDG PET-CT tracers in malignant and non-malignant diseases in...

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