Useful resources
The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the enforcement of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 in the UK. Notifications of exposures involving equipment malfunction meeting the HSE's criteria for incident reporting may be made using the email address: notification.for.ionising.radiation@hse.gsi.gov.uk or via the HSE website at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has responsibilities for enforcing the Medical Devices Regulations and to investigate device malfunctions. They operate an adverse incident reporting system for medical device failures and publish findings. For More information on their activities is available from their website at:
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/index.htm
The National Patient Safety Agency has developed a useful summary of errors in radiotherapy departments, not reportable under IR(ME)R but volunteered to NPSA:
http://www.npsa.nhs.uk/nrls/improvingpatientsafety/patientsafetyinitiatives/cancer-care-patient-safety-initiative/
Towards Safer Radiotherapy is a publication developed out of meetings between professionals allied to radiotherapy, and includes a number of helpful proposals and recommendations to improve practice. It too, is available via the address above, but also from the Royal College of Radiologists which also has a number of other useful resources at: http://www.rcr.ac.uk/publications.aspx?PageID=149&PublicationID=281
NPSA, jointly with RCR, SCoR, HPA and others have published interpretation of IR(ME)R specifically for radiotherapy. Called: A Guide to Understanding the Implications of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations in Radiotherapy, it is available at: http://www.rcr.ac.uk/publications.aspx?PageID=149&PublicationID=289
The World Health Organisation has published a redacted report following an investigation conducted by Professor Brian Toft into the circumstances surrounding a radiotherapy treatment error. It is available at:
http://www.who.int/patientsafety/news/Radiotherapy_adverse_event_Toft_report.pdf
A report of an investigation by the Inspector appointed by the Scottish Ministers for The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2000 into the circumstances surrounding the treatment of a patient undergoing radiotherapy at the Beatson Oncology Centre in 2006 is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/153082/0041158.pdf
The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (together with notes on good practice)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4007957
The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062523.htm
The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20001059.htm
