Radiology is the medical term that refers to any form of diagnostic imaging, such as X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound and MRI scanning. It is used to capture images of parts of the body which are not visible to the eye, in order to diagnose and treat disease or other medical issues.

Radiology plays a fundamental role in the early diagnosis of illness, allowing medical practitioners to identify disease and treat patients promptly. Therefore if  radiological errors occur, such as a medical practitioner’s failure to interpret scans properly, this can result in an adverse outcome for a patient.

Common examples of radiology errors include:

• Failure to correctly interpret results.
• Failure to act upon results that require further investigation or treatment.
• Inadequate reporting on results.
• Inadequate examinations and record keeping.
• Lack of communication, leading to vital information not being given to the clinician responsible for the patients’ care.
• Technical issues such as using the incorrect imaging protocol, images taken from the wrong area of the body, or scanning equipment malfunction.