IR(ME)R 2024 Amendment

As of 1st October 2024, The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, has been applied to the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.

As one of the enforcing authorities for these regulations, the Care Quality Commission have provided the following statement on when employers must comply with the up-dated regulations:

“The IR(ME)R Regulators for England recognise that implementing the amendments successfully in services will take time and will not commence enforcement of the amendments until 01 April 2025”.

Some key changes are:

  • Trend analysis now required as part of Significant Accidental or Unintended Exposures
  • A new regulation, 6A, which now formally requires co-operation between employers with regards to the IR(ME)R regulations, ensuring access to the imaging history of those exposed under these regulations
  • Provide all referrers with the Employers Procedures with the addition that they must comply with these
  • Include software that can influence exposure within the IR(ME)R equipment list
  • Two new Employers Procedures
    • (o) for the carrying out of clinical audit, and for any appropriate action to be taken in accordance with regulation 7
    • (p) for making, amending and cancelling any referrals for exposure

A number of professional bodies have provided feedback regarding the amendment including SoR. Please contact your MPE for further advice and support regarding the amendment to the regulations.

 

Updates to guidance

The Department of Health and Social Care have published updated guidance on IR(ME)R.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ionising-radiation-medical-exposure-regulations-2017-guidance/guidance-to-the-ionising-radiation-medical-exposure-regulations-2017

The clinical Imaging Board and Radiotherapy Board plan to review their guidance on the Implications of IR(ME)R for clinical practice to include all new requirements of the amendment reg.