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Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI)

Supporting and enabling quality improvement in imaging services.
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Introducing our QSI Quality Improvement Scheme

In July 2024, we launched our QSI Quality Improvement Scheme in collaboration with the College of Radiographers. The scheme is designed to focus on quality improvement for imaging services for the benefit of both patients and our members, and engages imaging services in continuous quality improvement through formal peer review. 

We know that colleagues who are delivering and developing services up and down the country are working tirelessly under challenging conditions to deliver the best service they can for patients. Our new scheme harnesses innovative practice and support colleagues in making connections and learning from each other as they continue their commitment to quality improvement. We are committed to ensuring that the scheme we run is accessible, supportive, and affordable.

This new scheme brings services together to facilitate an easier way of sharing good practice and peer learning. It introduces a new and enhanced level of support for those services working towards QSI through the QSI Hub, which builds on the existing support provided by both Colleges. We will be able to offer more expert and targeted support and resources to enable services to implement QSI effectively.

Quality improvement is the focus of the scheme, and this launch represents an investment by both Colleges in supporting services in delivering changes for the benefit of both patients and staff.

Both Colleges are keen to be able to celebrate and promote services' successes through QSI.

Quality Standard for Imaging

QSI is a developmental standard and underpins the colleges’ vision that all providers of imaging services be invested in a continuous quality improvement journey. QSI allows services to evaluate their performance and develop where needed to continually improve patient experience and outcomes.

QSI represents the judgements of panels of lay representatives, radiographers, radiologists, medical physicists, and sonographers who have overseen its creation and revision. It reflects wide consultation and valuable comments and suggestions received from professional colleagues, relevant UK government agencies and professional and regulatory bodies.

QSI sets out best practice to improve patient care and outcomes. Assessment against the standard has been and will continue to be the hallmark of a quality imaging service. Clinical practice is a continually evolving field, and the QSI will be independently reviewed every four years.

Find out more

Watch our joint video with the College of Radiographers - Radiology Excellence: Navigating the Quality Standard for Imaging.

Watch now

Some of the benefits that engaging with our QSI standard can bring to your service:

Recognised quality indicator for imaging services

Compliance with regulation and guidance

Networking opportunities and sharing good practice with other imaging services

Framework for delivering high quality and patient focused care

Supports building teamwork and collaboration across the whole department

High level of service user satisfaction and confidence

Improves and assures efficiency and validity of services

Independent recognition ‘badge of quality’

Enables continuous quality improvement

Offers assurance of the service – both internally and externally

Improved staff retention and recruitment

Potential market advantage

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  • Recognised quality indicator for imaging services

  • Compliance with regulation and guidance

  • Networking opportunities and sharing good practice with other imaging services

  • Framework for delivering high quality and patient focused care

  • Supports building teamwork and collaboration across the whole department

  • High level of service user satisfaction and confidence

  • Improves and assures efficiency and validity of services

  • Independent recognition ‘badge of quality’

  • Enables continuous quality improvement

  • Offers assurance of the service – both internally and externally

  • Improved staff retention and recruitment

  • Potential market advantage

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FAQs

The Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI)©, sets out the criteria for defining what makes a quality imaging service. The standards were developed as a collaboration between the Royal College of Radiologists and the College of Radiographers and continue to be owned and updated by the Colleges.

*© QSI is copyright to IQI Limited (a collaboration between RCR and CoR)

Are you a service manager or clinical director wanting to find out more? We have developed a series of FAQs aimed at answering your queries and would be happy to help – contact [email protected] .

Become a QSI Quality Mark Reviewer

Apply now for autumn

We're recruiting for Quality Mark Reviewers to join our Quality Mark Review teams. Find out more about the role and apply below.

Become a Quality Mark Reviewer

Helping you reach your goals – support for the QSI

The Colleges are continually developing a range of supporting resources such as guidance and best practice documents and using these documents will support services in achieving Quality Mark. Ongoing colleges support is available via the QIP’s and other college staff.

Development and Support tool

The development and support tool has been designed to help services assess themselves against the QSI and provides examples of evidence required to meet the standard.

Online network

Further resources, advice and support are available through the FutureNHS QSI platform along with information on our regular monthly meetings and dates for training/networking days.

Introduction to QSI

This presentation is to provide support to services and leads who are just starting their QSI journey. It includes presentations from the QIPs and experienced QSI leads and is designed to help you identify your next steps.

If you would like more information or to join any of these sessions, please email

Alongside these resources, there is a range of templates and guides that services may find helpful and can be used as a guide:

Other common questions

The QSI Quality Mark committee

The Quality Mark Committee ensures the quality of the Colleges’ QSI scheme. 

Membership of the QSI Quality Mark Committee includes six appointed members, a lay representative, a representative of the College of Radiographers and a representative of the Royal College of Radiologists.

Learn more about the QSI Quality Mark Committee

*QSI is copyright to IQI Limited (a collaboration between RCR and CoR)