Checking treatments are used safely
The Healthcare Commission is responsible for making sure that hospitals and other healthcare services use certain treatments and procedures safely. We monitor their use of controlled drugs and ionising radiation (such as X-rays), to make sure that substances are being used correctly and that patients are not being over-exposed to radiation.
Controlled drugs
Controlled drugs are substances that have the potential to be harmful if they are given to the wrong people or in the wrong amounts. Because of this there are regulations for making sure they are kept securely, prescribed to the right people and disposed of properly.
Under the regulations, NHS trusts and independent healthcare organisations must appoint an "accountable officer" who is responsible for managing their controlled drugs. These officers must be registered with us so that we can monitor them.
Ionising radiation
Ionising radiation is used to help make a diagnosis. For example, in X-rays or nuclear medicine, which use small amounts of radioactive substances to examine a patient's organs and trace processes in the body. Ionising radiation is also used as a treatment for disease, such as radiotherapy for cancer patients.
Because radiation can be dangerous, we have to make sure that hospitals have strict rules in place to prevent patients from being exposed to too much of it. If this does happen, the hospital must tell us about the incident.
