Recommendations on alerts and notification of imaging reports

The main objective of this guidance is to ensure prompt and effective imaging result notification and its subsequent action to protect patient safety. It includes:

• Definitions of the different categories of imaging findings that require an alert notification
• A list of critical findings for which an alert should be triggered
• Simplified national alert text codes for imaging reports.

This guidance has been published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and produced through a collaborative effort led by The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Patient Safety Adviser Dr Teik Choon See with a working party representing:

• The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
• The Society of Radiographers
• The Royal College of Physicians
• The Royal College of Emergency Medicine
• The Royal College of General Practitioners
• The Royal College of Surgeons
• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• NHS Digital