Action: HERCA will organize a European Action Week on inspection of justification in medical imaging to verify the level of local implementation at medical imaging facilities. All HERCA regulatory authorities are invited to take part in this action and to liaise with national professional bodies. The European Action Week will be launched on the International Day of Radiology, 8th of November 2016 and last for one week. The European Action Week will be announced through national and European campaigns and press releases. Basis for Action:...

The HERCA Initiative: All inspections will be performed according to a common template provided by HERCA and may cover both private and public medical imaging facilities. The focus will be to identify evidence of ongoing processes of justification covering the following topics: Overall quality of referrals Availability and use of referral guidelines Clear assignment of responsibilities for justification among involved health professionals Justification as part of a Quality Assurance system, including clinical audits and its coverage of justification Knowledge, competence and training in radiation protection...

HERCA conclusions: HERCA has identified an urgent need to improve the implementation of the principle of justification in medical exposure situations. HERCA regulators will support this through a coordinated European Action Week on inspection of justification in medical imaging. This HERCA initiative will be undertaken in cooperation with the European Radiological Professional Bodies in order to maximize its impact.

HERCA as an organization The Heads of the European Radiological protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) was founded in 2007 on the initiative of the French Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN). It is a voluntary association in which the heads of the Radiation Protection Authorities work together in order to identify common interests in significant regulatory issues and provides practical solutions for these issues. The uniqueness of HERCA is that it is composed of the heads of organizations that either have decision-making capacity or significant influence on...

European Commission. Councile Directive 97/43/Euratom of 30 June 1997 on health protection of individuals against the dangers of ionizing radiation in relation to medical exposure, and repealing Directive 84/466/Euratom. Official Journal of the European Union, L 180, 09.07.1997. European Commission. Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers from exposure to ionizing radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom. Official Journal of the European Union, L 13, 17.1.2014. Bonn Call for Action. 10...