Royal Free London's (RFL) Ultrasound Department has adopted a more stringent approach to vetting requests, in full alignment with NCL vetting guidelines.

Other trusts within NCL are also applying these guidelines consistently. Although these standards have been in place for several years, they have not always been uniformly implemented across all services.

GPs referring patients are asked to ensure they are not adversely affected and that RFL's long‑standing collaborative relationship continues to thrive.

The trust's intention is to support NCL primary care referral pathways and alleviate distress caused by delays to patient’s diagnostic journey, ultimately providing high‑quality diagnostic reports that answer relevant clinical questions and support optimal patient management. To achieve this, RFL asks that all GP referrals comply with the established NCL vetting guidelines.

In future, RFL will only be able to accept and perform ultrasound examinations that are:

• clinically justified
• supported by appropriate examination findings and/or laboratory results
• accompanied by a clear and relevant clinical question.

Posing a good relevant clinical question will directly impact the quality of the diagnostic report delivered.

Download the NCL guidelines for your reference. For more information, read the full GP guidance below.