Diagnostic Imaging (Radiology, X-ray)
The DCHFT Radiology Department (also known as the Radiology and X-ray Department) is one of the major diagnostic departments at the hospital.
It has a large team of dedicated and experienced radiologists, radiographers, sonographers, nurses, radiology assistants, friendly support and administration staff and state-of-the-art machinery, working together to provide you with the very best of imaging services.
The department is split into two different units within the hospital.
The majority of examinations are performed in the main X-ray Department, situated in South Wing, Level 1.
This department deals with all outpatient clinic patients, patients on wards, all ‘special’ examinations, such as CT, ultrasound and MRI as well as booked appointments, unless otherwise stated in your letter.
There are two waiting areas within this department – a small area, which is for patients coming from the Emergency Department (ED) and a larger waiting area, which does have a small play area for children.
In addition to this, the Mammography Suite, the Dental Department and the Obstetric Ultrasound Department can be found within Maumbury Outpatients in East Wing Level 0. Unfortunately, there are no children’s facilities within this area.
X-rays
We are now able to offer a walk-in service for chest X-rays only. Please see the details below:
Dorset County Hospital – Monday to Friday, 9am to 10am and 2pm to 3pm.
South Walks House, Dorchester town centre – we do not offer a walk in service at South Walk House.
Weymouth – Monday to Friday, 9am to 10am and 2pm to 3pm.
Bridport – Monday to Friday, 9am to 10am and 2pm to 3pm.
Blandford – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday only, 9am to 10am and 2pm to 3pm.
For all other X-ray examinations, please wait 48 hours before ringing the appointment lines to ensure the examinations required have been received and processed. After 48 hours, please ring one of the appointment lines below to make an appointment:
Dorset County Hospital – call 01305 254462, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm.
South Walks House – call 01305 254462, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm.
Weymouth – call 01305 762583, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Bridport – call 01308 426216, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Blandford – call 01258 394040, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday only, 9am to 4pm.
Please note that there will times where these lines are busy or unable to be answered.
All examinations must be performed within six weeks of the date of the request. If you have not contacted the department or presented for the examination within six weeks this will be cancelled and you will need to be re-referred.
Appointments will not be sent out for any examinations without contact from the patient.
About the department
The Trust utilises a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), a digital imaging display and storage system. This enables images to be viewed anywhere in the hospital, so that doctors and healthcare professionals have easy access to the imaging examinations they have requested.
All X-ray and scan requests are made electronically on a system called ICE. This allows doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other non-medical referrers both in the Trust and from GP surgeries to refer you easily and quickly for your imaging investigation.
Your X-ray or scan images will be looked at by reporting radiologists, radiographers or sonographers. These reports are sent electronically via the ICE system to the healthcare professional or doctor who referred you.
If you have been referred by your GP or consultant, you will be contacted either by phone or letter to be given an appointment. We aim to give you an appointment within six weeks for routine X-rays and scans, and within two weeks for urgent X-rays or scans.
Radiologists may change the priority of your examination depending on the clinical information given to us by your doctor.
You may also have your X-ray or scan on the same day you see your consultant for a consultation. This depends upon the nature of the X-ray or scan, as well as availability of scanners and appointment slots. All requests are prioritised on clinical urgency, and you will always be given the soonest appointment possible.
The Radiology Department also supports the Inpatient and Theatre teams. Surgeons perform a few operations under X-ray guidance. Your consultant should explain this to you.
The majority of examinations are performed during normal office hours, although the diagnostic imaging department does provide a number of on-call and emergency services to the hospital including radiography, CT and ultrasound scans. These scans can be requested by hospital doctors, 24 hours a day, but will only be performed in emergency cases.
If you have any feedback about the department, please contact our Patient Experience Team.
Services offered within the department
- Interventional Radiology (IRU)
- CT (Computerised Tomography) Scanning
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
- Ultrasound (general, antenatal and vascular scanning)
- Plain Film X-ray (referred from GPs, hospital clinics and for inpatients)
- Plain Film X-ray (Emergency Department)
- Plain Film X-ray (dental)
- Fluoroscopic procedures (barium studies)
- DXA (Bone Densitometry)
- Breast Imaging and Screening
Other imaging departments
We work alongside a number of community hospitals across Dorset. More information, including opening times, is available on the Dorset HealthCare website.
Diagnostic imaging results
Your imaging examination will be reported on by a diagnostic imaging specialist such as a radiologist, sonographer or reporting radiographer.
The report will be issued to your referring GP or consultant team who will inform you of the next steps in your care pathway.
The availability of the report can vary dependent on the type and complexity of the imaging examination.
Information for GPs
We have a duty radiologist working from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Please contact the duty radiologist with any queries/concerns regarding your patient’s examination procedure, or with any other matter that we can help you with.
The results will be authorised and made available on PACS as soon as we can.