Making the best use of clinical radiology

I read with interest the letter by Dr Denis Remedios, Consultant Radiologist. It is reassuring to learn that the UK minimises the exposure of radiation to its patients with greater success than many of its European counterparts. However, we must also consider that guidelines by organisation such as the Royal College of Radiologists can only be followed if hospital resources are sufficient. Ultrasound lists are often overloaded in hospitals, causing clinicians to jump to CT for a quicker and more detailed answer to their questions, such as whether appendicitis is present. This scenario can lead to increased burden of radiation dose to patients. Therefore, it is the duty of hospitals to increase resource allocation to services in high demand, to ensure clinical decision making protects patients, and only supports the use of radiation when the benefits outweigh the risks.