Background

The HPA assists and supports a range of organisations and whilst the HPA is not a regulator, its scientific staff have helped develop radiation protection structures through work with the International Commission on Radiological Protection, International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Commission and UK regulators to produce legislative frameworks and guidance documents.
The HPA has Memoranda of Understanding with both the Society and College of Radiographers and the Royal College of Radiologists to allow and promote communication on matters relating to radiation protection in clinical practice and regulatory requirements as well as policy development. Recent examples of this may be seen in the publication of A Guide to Understanding the Implementation of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (2008) and Towards Safer Radiotherapy (2008).
Advice may be provided in response to a telephone call or e-mail from an individual regarding a specific matter, or through working with a clinical department. Whilst advice is mainly provided to healthcare professionals, professional bodies, government departments and agencies, members of the public also contact the HPA for advice in relation to medical exposures that either they, or a family member have had or are about to undergo.  In these situations, whilst the HPA can give general advice, this cannot substitute for the legal duty of the hospital staff to ensure safe treatments.

Activity

Currently the HPA Radiotherapy Team is active in the following areas:

Patient Safety in Radiotherapy Steering Group

HPA status: Chair and secretariat

The primary objective of the group is to implement the recommendations from Towards Safer Radiotherapy and to continue to build on these so as to improve learning from radiotherapy errors and forward patient safety in radiotherapy in the UK.

British Institute of Radiology (BIR) subcommittee on Radiation Physics & Dosimetry 

HPA status: Observer 

Invited observer to British Institute of Radiology (BIR) subcommittee on Radiation Physics & Dosimetry. This committee is tasked to advise Council on all matters relating to radiation physics and dosimetry which fall within the remit of the Institute and to initiate and be a forum for scientific, educational and technical discussions and, when required, to set up working groups and working parties to study specific topics and make appropriate recommendations and reports.

National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) 

HPA status: Member 

Invited member of National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) whose role it is to provide an oversight role, as clinical teams and commissioning bodies develop local responses to the NRAG report. The group is tasked to commission and develop national work in support of local teams.

Inspectorate Training 

HPA status: Trainer 

Provision of training and support in radiotherapy to the inspectorate of the devolved administrations in Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations [IR(ME)R] 2000 and the amendment 2006.