Information for patients > Arrange a referral

Arrange a referral

We want to be able to arrange your investigations as quickly and easily as possible, but we also have to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place to protect you.   Accordingly, we will only be able to carry out those investigations once your referral is confirmed in writing by a regulated medical professional (further safeguards are contained in our Privacy Policy).  We will then contact you to arrange a suitable appointment.

Radiology examinations are carried out using sophisticated imaging equipment.   These include plain x-rays, fluoroscopic studies, ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET scans. A wide range of minimally invasive surgical procedures can also be performed under imaging guidance (this is called interventional radiology).

It is perfectly understandable to be apprehensive when you arrive for an investigation, but staff at all our sites are kind, friendly, informative and helpful and will help you to feel relaxed and calm.   The information in the Services section of the site should give you a reasonable idea about what to expect and how to prepare for your particular type of investigation.

Women should inform the staff before their examination if there is any chance that they are pregnant, or if they are breast-feeding.

 

MRI and Ultrasound referrals

We accept MRI and ultrasound referrals from doctors and other regulated medical professionals such as physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors, but we ask that you keep your own GP informed.   If the referrer is not personally known to us, then we may contact them to discuss the request. Ultrasound scans to screen for aortic aneurysms do not require a medical referral.

 

CT scan and X-ray referrals

Because CT scan and X-ray referrals are regulated by ionising radiation legislation, referrals are only accepted from qualified medical or dental practitioners who are on our List of Referrers.

 

Referral Request form

Your doctor can print off an Imaging Referral Request form by clicking on the relevant tab within the Healthcare Professionals' area of the website.   We need your doctor to sign the form and return it to us by either post or fax, so that we can book the investigation.

Once we have received the form, we will contact you to arrange a convenient appointment and to explain what you will need to do.   On completion of the examination, the results will be typed and sent to the referrer, so it is vital that we have both your contact details and those of the referrer.

 

How long will you have to wait?

We will aim to contact you within 24 hours of receiving a referral, in order to arrange an appointment.   We will also try to ensure that the result of the examination is sent to the referrer within 24 hours of the investigation, although there may be a little delay if the images need to be reviewed by another radiologist or are a particularly specialised form of investigation.

 

Insured patients

If you intend to make a claim on your medical insurance, then you will be asked to bring details of your private health insurance (Policy Number and Claim Number) at the time of your appointment.  It is imperative that we have these details prior to any private radiological investigation.  Be advised that, even if you have private medical insurance, it may be cheaper to pay for the scan or x-ray yourself if there is a high excess or low annual claim limit on your medical insurance policy.