Scan quality is independently audited every six months by the clinical guardian of the contract, Professor Adrian Dixon, national health service sponsors and Alliance Medical Ltd.’s head of clinical governance. In addition, two audits have been produced by the Royal College of Radiologists in conjunction with the Department. The audits are available at the Royal College of Radiologists website at:
www.rcr.ac.uk/docs/radiology/pdf/MR_CG_Audit_Apri!2006.pdf
and at:
www.rcr.ac.uk/docs/newsroom/pdf/MRI_AUDIT_REPORT_FINAL_17505.pdf
The second audit, which was published in April 2006, again found that there was little overall difference in the clinical opinion between independent service provider (Alliance Medical Ltd.) and the NHS reports and, that there was little overall difference in the technical quality of the magnetic resonance examinations between the two services overall.
Quality is monitored consistently throughout the contract as an integral part of the clinical governance framework. Any discrepancies or concerns are audited on a case by case basis by the clinical guardian of the contract.