Radiology uses medical imaging to look inside your body to diagnose, treat and monitor illness and injury.
There are two areas of radiology:
There are several different imaging exams. Some of the most common include X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, and PET scan.
A radiologist plays an important role in your healthcare. They:
No radiology is not the same as MRI. Radiology is the umbrella term for a variety of imaging tests. MRI is one of the imaging techniques used in radiology.
There are many tests done in radiology. The most common diagnostic tests include:
What happens at your radiology appointment will depend on your examination.
There are a number of diseases that radiology treats. They include:
The costs of radiology vary from patient to patient. They will depend on the examination you need, whether it is diagnostic or interventional, whether more tests are required, and your chosen Ramsay hospital.
You will be advised of your examination costs when you book your consultation. Any further costs for more radiology diagnostic tests, treatments, or monitoring will be discussed and confirmed following your consultation.
Radiology examination costs are usually covered by medical insurance. Foetal ultrasound is usually covered if it is medically necessary. We advise you to check with your insurance provider for their written confirmation before your radiology appointment.
If you are paying for yourself, we offer a variety of payment options including interest-free finance.
You usually don’t need any recovery time after a radiology exam. They are carried out as outpatient procedures and you can go home after the scan is finished and return to your normal activities straight away.
You may have some temporary side effects if you had a contrast agent before your X-ray. For example, barium can make your poo a whitish colour for a few days.
After a CT scan, if a contrast was used, you may be advised to wait in the hospital for around an hour to ensure you don't have a reaction to it.
If you had an endoscopic ultrasound with a sedative to help you relax, you can expect to stay in the hospital for a few hours until the medication wears off. You will also need a lift home and someone to stay with you for the next 24 hours.
Also, if you have had a sedative for an MRI, you are not safe to drive, operate heavy machinery or drink alcohol for 24 hours afterwards.
You may be told the results of your radiology test soon after it has been carried out. However, usually, the images need to be analysed and a report sent to your referring doctor who will discuss the results with you.
The results of your scan won't usually be available on the same day. They'll be sent to your specialist to be discussed at your next appointment. This can take a few days or weeks.
Our local and convenient Ramsay hospitals offer you fast access to a wide variety of high-quality diagnostic tests and their results.
Our qualified and experienced consultant radiologists and radiographers provide first-class diagnostics, imaging-guided treatments and cancer patient treatment plans using the latest technology.
Often patients come to us to get a diagnosis quickly, that otherwise they would need to wait for. Once they have a diagnosis, they can then choose to stay with Ramsay for their treatment or return to the NHS.
We understand that time is important when you are awaiting a diagnosis, especially if early treatment can save lives or get you back to doing the things you love. By choosing Ramsay for your diagnostic testing, you will get receive a diagnosis without waiting.
A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure that examines your large bowel for changes or abnormalities such as colon polyps and bowel cancer.
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Renacres Hospital have created an all-in-one MRI package which includes a consultation appointment with the private GP, an MRI scan and a follow up appointment with the GP to get the results.
Renacres staff team got together over Christmas to collect donations for The Trussell Trust Compassion Acts Foodbank in Southport.
This November Renacres Hospital had Dr. Lewis Turner, Chief Executive of Lancashire LGBT, deliver some LGBTQ+ inclusion sessions to our staff team.