The European Medical Exposure Directive and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 place a requirement on departments using ionising radiation for diagnostic purposes to optimise the dose they deliver to patients.

This report shows how diagnostic reference levels may may be used as a practical tool by departments to develop quality assurance and clinical audit programmes in order to comply with the legislation.

The report describes the arangements that are in place for establishing and revising national DRLs in the UK. This is followed by detailed practical guidance on the procedures that can be adopted locally by departments using x-rays for setting, reviewing and checking compliance with DRLs.  Finally, it discusses sources of national patient dose data that are currently available for a number of important areas of medical radiology, which could provide a useful basis for the seting of DRLs nationally and locally.

This report will be of particular help to medical physics experts involved in advising on the implementation of the IR(ME)R requirements and to the clinical and administrative staff in clinics and hospitals undertaking medical x-ray examinations who have responsibilities under IR(ME)R for the radiological protection of patients.