INTRODUCTION

The diagnosis of any medical problem or condition begins with obtaining a detailed medical history and performing a thorough physical examination.  The history and examination will reveal the diagnosis in the vast majority of cases.  Sometimes however, the problem can be more difficult to diagnose and in these situations specialised tests and investigations may be required to narrow the range of possibilities and then to lead to a diagnosis.  These tests can range from simple blood tests to x-rays and complex scans.

 X-rays and scans are performed in the Radiology department under the supervision of our 5 13 Consultant Radiologists.  These departments are specially set up to perform the tests and obtain the images in a safe environment.  The images and scans can be reviewed immediately by the requesting doctor, they are also reported on formally by a consultant radiologist and the report and images are then sent to the referring doctor.  These investigations can then be combined with the history, examination and any other investigations arranged, to help solve the problem.

Radiology investigations are used not only to diagnose problems but can also be used to assess response to treatment and to monitor progress. A number of different investigations can be performed including simple 5 14 X-rays, 5 15 ultrasound scans, 5 14 CT scans and 5 15 MR scans.