The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has become the first organisation in Europe to produce a surgical checklist for interventional radiology aimed at improving safety across the NHS.
Interventional radiology is when minimally invasive procedures are performed using image guidance, with procedures being done for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. The Safer Surgical Checklist for Interventional Radiology is an adaptation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Safer Surgical Checklist.
The checklist has been produced in conjunction with the Royal College of Radiologists and follows extensive analysis into patient safety incident reports to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). There were 16,112 patient safety incidents, of which 15,239 resulted in low or no harm, involving radiology to the NRLS between 1 January to 31 December 2009.
This checklist requires radiologists to:
• Ensure that all Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000** requirements have been met.
• Check renal function and potential for bleeding before the procedure.
• Check that any implanted devices, have been recorded.
• Ensure that specimens been labelled.
In addition to this, radiologists will also be required to carry out many of the checks on the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist such as, team introductions and the marking of the procedural sight.
Tony Nicholson, Vice President of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: “The Safer Surgical Checklist for Interventional Radiology will support the development of improved team work and communication in radiology. The College will play an active role in supporting implementation and monitoring progress.”
A copy of the Radiology Checklist is available from the NPSA website at: http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=73612
