IR(ME)R annual report 2022/23

The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 are known as IR(ME)R. They provide a regulatory framework to protect people against the dangers from being exposed to ionising radiation in a healthcare setting. The regulations state that each individual exposure should be justified and optimised to make it as effective as possible, and to ensure that the benefit for the patient outweighs the risk.

We enforce the regulations in England through on-site inspections and by reviewing statutory notifications from healthcare services about significant accidental or unintended exposures to patients. In this report, we provide an update on what we found from notifications received in the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, and from our inspection and enforcement activity over this period.

We also highlight some key concerns around compliance with the regulations and provide actions for IR(ME)R employers to take to improve the quality and safety of care.