News

Posted 29 August 2004

Psst…. do you want to know a secret? Go on you know you do. Well have you ever heard of the NHS Security Management Service? Well neither had I until a few days ago – that’s security for you!

OK now the secrets out I can tell you that they have recently issued tiptop secret guidance in the form of NHS Security Management guidance note 001/2004 – Security of Radioactive Sources. This note is on the net at: http://www.cfsms.nhs.uk/files/Radiation%20Brief.pdf
Of particular interest to me is the constant use of the generic term “health bodies” in the guidance (at least 10 times). If when reading you add a y after health it certainly makes things much more entertaining. Seriously though some criticism has been made of this guidance in that it concentrates on highlighting compliance with existing legislation (IRR99 & RSA93) to achieve an adequate level of security, which is somewhat backtracking from the guidance issued by ACPO previously. The poor old Royal Free also gets it in the neck again as the events leading to their recent prosecution are referred to as an example of a security breach. Finally and curiously the guidance requires health(y) bodies to ensure that their RPAs are fully aware of the statutory requirements of IRR93 & RSA93 - are not we as RPAs constantly banging our heads to a pulp trying ensure things go the other way?

Keep an eye out for soon to be published, in Nuclear Medicine Communications: Delivery and Collection of Radioactive Packages to and from Hospital Nuclear Medicine Departments, by RS Lawson et al. A right riveting read I’m led to believe.

Compiled by, Borehole