X-Rays

You have been referred for an X-ray examination. This guide will tell you about the procedure and help you prepare for the appointment.

What is an X-ray examination?

An X-ray examination involves positioning the area of your body that is going to be examined between a tube that produces X-rays and a digital plate. The examination is performed by a radiographer (a healthcare professional trained in how to use X-rays). X-rays pass through your body, and are absorbed by the tissues they pass through. Different parts of the body absorb different amounts of X-rays depending on how thick (dense) they are. In the final image, dense structures such as bone appear white and less dense structures such as the lungs appear black.

Are there any side effects?

An X-ray is painless. You cannot see or feel X-rays. X-rays are a form of radiation. Everybody receives a small amount of radiation from the environment every day. The radiation received from any single X-ray is very small, and would be similar to the amount you would be exposed to on a transatlantic flight. As a matter of safety, your doctor will only ask you to have an X-ray examination when there is no other way to find out the information.

Unborn children are at greater risk from being exposed to X-rays because they are still developing. For this reason, if you are, or suspect that you may be pregnant, it is important that you tell the radiographer before the X-ray is carried out.
All the information you give will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Before your appointment

You do not need to make any special preparations for your X-ray examination. However, as far as possible, please remove jewellery that may interfere with the examination, for example, rings for hand X-rays and necklaces for chest X-rays. You may have to wear a gown if the X-ray is of your chest, stomach, hip or back. However, if you wear clothing that is free from metal (such as a tracksuit), you may not have to get changed.

If you need help because you speak a different language, please let us know when you book your appointment. The radiographer must limit the number of people in the X-ray room to those involved in the examination. If you need a friend, relative or carer to come with you, please let us know when you book your appointment.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time; if you are late we may not be able to carry out your test. Please do not bring children to your appointment.

When you arrive

One of our staff will explain the procedure to you and answer any questions you may have. As we have already said, you may have to undress and put on an examination gown.

The examination

The examination will be performed with you standing, sitting or lying on a table, depending on the area of your body that needs to be examined. The radiographer may need to press gently on bony parts of your body to make sure that you are in the right position. The radiographer will stand behind a radiation screen when the X-ray is made. Depending on the area of your body being examined, the radiographer may ask you to hold your breath while the X-ray is being taken. After the X-rays have been taken, you will be asked to wait while the images are checked. It is sometimes necessary to take further X-rays

How long will it take?

The time spent in the X-ray room will probably be about 5 to 20 minutes

How will I get the results?

The radiographer who takes the X-ray will not be able to give you any results at the time of the examination. A consultant radiologist will analyse your X-rays and report back to the doctor who referred you for your X-ray. You should telephone to confirm that they have received your report before arranging an appointment, unless the doctor has made different arrangements with you.

Giving your consent for the procedure

You will need to sign a form to confirm that you are not pregnant. If you might be pregnant but the x-ray is essential you will be asked to sign an additional consent form.

The information in this leaflet will give you an idea of what is involved in your X-ray. Before any medical procedure can be performed, the healthcare professional carrying out the procedure will let you know what to expect. It is your right to be given all the information you need to make an informed choice about whether you want to go through with the procedure or not. Please feel free to ask any questions.
Only verbal consent is required

In addition to giving consent for the test or procedure to be undertaken, either verbal or written, all NHS patients are required to give written consent to data sharing. This is because we have to share patient identifiable information with other organisations in order to report a patient’s scan/test and we have to share the test results with the referring GP or consultant. Occasionally it is necessary to request a further report for a second opinion. We are also obliged to provide a sample of our images and reports to an independent clinician for clinical audit and quality assurance. Any audit reports issued contain no patient identifiable information.

InHealth has a strict policy regarding patient confidentiality which means that we never share information about patients with anyone/organisation that does not need to know about the patient’s clinical condition. InHealth never shares any information about patients with commercial companies or gives personal details to anyone who works outside of our company, its clinical providers and the local NHS. All our clinical providers conform with our confidentiality policy.

If you are not willing to complete the consent process in accordance with our requirements it may not be possible to complete your test or procedure.


For further information, please contact the Patient Referral Centre on 0844 581 0300, or visit our website at www.inhealthlondon.com

About InHealth (London)

We are a leading independent health-care provider and we provide X-rays, scans and other tests on behalf of the NHS. We are committed to helping GPs meet their 18-week 'referral-to-treatment' waiting-time targets by providing various tests and scans locally to help GPs make a diagnosis as quickly as possible. GPs are able to refer you directly to us for tests so you won't need to attend a hospital outpatient appointment. We will send your test results to your GP so that they can decide whether you need to see a hospital specialist. For more information, please visit our website www.inhealthlondon.com or contact us as shown below:
Patient Information Line: 0844 581 0300
Email: londoninfo@inhealthgroup.com

How to Complain

If you have a complaint about any part of the service you have received from us, you can do one of the following.
1. Discuss it with the Unit Manager during your visit.
2. Call our Customer Care Team on 0844 581 0300
3. Write to the Quality Manager, InHealth (London), Beechwood Hall, Kingsmead Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 1JL.
4. Use the NHS complaints procedure on the Department of Health’s website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/ComplaintsPolicy/fs/en.
We welcome your comments about our service. We recognise that the way we monitor and handle complaints reflects the quality of our service and represents an opportunity for us to continuously improve.
When we are handling your complaint, we promise to:
• be accessible – you can contact us to check on the progress of your complaint;
• be impartial – we will treat every complaint fairly;
• be responsive – we will reply to you as soon as we can, and let you know if there will be a delay; and
• respect your confidentiality.
We will attempt to sort out your complaint as soon as possible after receiving it. We will usually acknowledge written complaints within 48 hours of receiving them, and send you a full reply within 20 working days of your complaint. If we cannot sort out your complaint within 20 working days, we will tell you what progress we have made and why there has been a delay. A complaints handler will deal with your complaint. If you are not satisfied with their reply, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Operations Director. If you have any other questions or you would like a copy of our customer complaints policy, please call our Customer Care Team on 0844 581 0300