Imaging Services: RFL

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Changes to Barnet Hospital radiology referrals 

Since April, RFL have been gradually phasing out the Barnet Hospital radiology tQuest system. Which means you need to use the North Central London tQuest system to request radiology tests. This is the same system used for requesting pathology tests.

Information about these changes were included in the April edition of the RFL GP newsletter.

There has been a transitional period where you were still able to use the Barnet Hospital tQuest system alongside the North Central London system. However, you will no longer be able to access the Barnet Hospital system from Thursday 16 May.

All practices have been enabled to use the North Central London tQuest system for radiology tests and you should now be able to see a 'Radiology' option on your ordering screen. If you cannot see this option, please contact Pav Asghar, operations manager for radiology, via email: pav.asghar@nhs.net. 

For more information, read Changes to the Barnet Hospital radiology referrals. 

Equipment replacement in X-ray department at Edgware Hospital

From Monday 4 March, Royal Free London (RFL) will be undertaking an equipment replacement programme on the two static X-ray rooms in Edgware Community Hospital. This new equipment will update and modernise the X-ray service at Edgware. The work will take approximately six months to complete, with one room at a time being replaced. While this occurs, the service will be at a reduced capacity. 

To help support the service during the works, RFL will be changing current opening hours at Edgware Hospital from 9am-4pm to:

  • Monday to Friday, 9am-7pm
  • Saturday to Sunday, 9am-7pm (no service between 1-2pm)

In addition, please advise patients of the reduced service at Edgware Hospital and therefore the likelihood of much longer waits. Please also suggest they try other walk-in X-ray services across the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Finchley Memorial Hospital (Monday to Sunday, 8am-7pm) and at Barnet Hospital (Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm) and Chase Farm Hospital (Monday to Friday, 8.30am-4pm).

There is also an X-ray service in the CDC at Wood Green (Monday to Friday, 9am-6.30pm, Saturday 9am-4pm). 

RAG clinical prioritisation for all new GP direct-access imaging referrals

The NCL imaging departments have agreed on a set of standardised imaging prioritisation categories that are to be applied to all future referrals. These must be applied, whether the GP is making a referral to independent sector or NHS service providers.

Service description

Imaging investigations offered by Royal Free London (RFL) include: 

  • CT and MRI scans
  • ultrasound
  • fluoroscopy
  • breast imaging
  • DEXA scans
  • nuclear medicine imaging including PET/CT.

Ultrasound referrals: Barnet/Chase Farm/Edgware Community/Finchley Memorial hospitals

Referrals are being accepted via tQuest. This does not include MSK or head and neck referrals.

Patients will be contacted by phone or letter with an appointment. The team will try to book patients within three weeks of receiving the referral.

If a patient does not receive an appointment, they can email rf-tr.bh-radiology@nhs.net or call 020 8216 4339/5101 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

When referring a patient, please ensure that a copy of the tQuest form is given to the patient before their appointment. You no longer need to email a copy of the tQuest form to the radiology team. 

For further information, use the contact details above.

Ultrasound referrals: Finchley Memorial Hospital CDC

Ultrasound investigations offered by the Finchley Memorial Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) include abdominal, renal, gynaecological, testes, soft tissue, head and neck, and MSK.

Referrals should be sent to rf-tr.fmh-cdcbooking@nhs.net and must be within the NCL guidelines (they will be vetted accordingly). Any referrals not meeting the guidelines or those where further information is required will be returned.

Any queries regarding returned referrals can be directed to rf-tr.cdcultrasoundenquiries@nhs.net

Patients will be called within three days and given an appointment according to the access policy.

Scans will be reported within 48 hours (or 24 hours if there are urgent/unexpected findings) via email. Urgent reports will be emailed with an urgent flag that will require acknowledgement of receipt.

Ultrasound referrals: Royal Free Hospital

Referrals should be emailed to rf.radiologyenquiries@nhs.net. This mailbox is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). This does not include MSK and head and neck referrals.

Patients will be contacted by phone or letter with an appointment. The team will endeavour to book patients within three weeks of receiving the referral. If your patient does not receive an appointment, please ask them to contact the email above.

For further information, contact the email above.

Walk-in X-ray service: Finchley Memorial Hospital CDC

If your patient needs an X-ray, you can refer into RFL's radiology services at the CDC at Finchley Memorial Hospital. A walk-in X-ray service is provided Monday to Sunday from 8am-8pm.

Ensure that you provide patients with a copy of the tQuest form which must be signed by a GP or the patient will be turned away. You no longer need to email a copy of the tQuest form to the radiology team.  

Results will be sent within 10 working days. If you do not receive the results within this timeframe, email rf-tr.bh-Radiology@nhs.net. This mailbox is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 

Urgent and routine X-ray referrals: Barnet/Chase Farm/Edgware Community/Finchley Memorial hospitals 

  • Barnet Hospital, Wellhouse Lane, Barnet, EN5 3DJ: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm
  • Chase Farm Hospital, The Ridgeway, Enfield, EN2 8JL: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm
  • Edgware Hospital, Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, HA8 0AD: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm
  • Finchley Memorial Hospital, Granville Road, London, N12 0JE: Monday-Sunday, 8am-7.30pm
  • Potters Bar Community Hospital: Currently no X-ray service

When referring a patient, please ensure that a copy of the tQuest form is given to the patient before their appointment. You no longer need to email a copy of the tQuest form to the radiology team. The paper referral form must be signed by a GP or the patient will be turned away by the hospital.

You should receive your patient's results within ten working days. If you do not receive the results within this timeframe, email rf-tr.bh-radiology@nhs.net. This mailbox is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Urgent and routine X-ray referrals: Royal Free Hospital

Royal Free Hospital currently offers a walk-in X-ray service between 9am-3.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). These opening hours will remain in place until summer 2024 while state-of-the-art X-ray equipment is installed.

Any other scans requested require the referral to be checked by a sonographer/radiologist and an appointment will be sent in the post.

When referring a patient, please ensure that a copy of the referral form is given to the patient before their appointment. The paper referral form must be signed by a GP or the patient will be turned away by the hospital.

Alternatively, the form can be emailed to rf.radiologyenquiries@nhs.net. The mailbox is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

You should receive your patient's results within ten working days. If you do not receive it within this timeframe, contact the email above.

Please note: Patients will not be able to have an X-ray without a referral.

For further information, contact the email above.

For all ultrasound/general X-ray enquiries 

GPs t: 020 7830 2036
Patients t: 020 7830 2106

Patient transport

When referring a patient who needs hospital transport or who has mobility difficulties, please clearly mark this in the referral. This will help ensure that RFL has the appropriate number of staff during the patient's appointment and while they wait for their transport home.

If you have any queries, contact:

How to Refer

EMIS form

Referral methods: Email

For urgent and routine X-ray referrals, follow the process for the relevant site as detailed above. For other investigations, use the appropriate form and process as described below.

All scans except MRI: EMIS forms for Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington

Complete the appropriate form for the investigation/site requested and email to rf.radiologyenquiries@nhs.net

  • Direct-access investigation requests for suspected cancer and for urgent ultrasounds (mark as urgent in email subject line):
    • Urgent (Non-Cancer) US imaging request form (adult and paed) - RF
    • Urgent Direct Access Imaging Request Form (adult and paed)-Suspected Cancer- NCL 

  • Routine ultrasound (except MSK and head and neck): 

    • Routine (Non-MSK or H&N) Ultrasound Imaging Request Form (Adult and Paed) - RF 

  • Renal colic referrals:

    • Renal Colic Non-Contrast CT KUB Referral Form

  • Bone density scans:

    • Bone density scan request form - RF
    • T-Quest - BH

  • USS gynae or abdomen at RFH site:

    • Urgent Direct Access Imaging Request For Suspected Cancer (mark as urgent) and email

  • USS gynae or abdomen at Barnet or Chase Farm site:

    • Refer via tQuest (mark as urgent).

Where to find the forms

  • Barnet: BAR Global Documents > Diagnostics folder
  • Camden: Camden Global Documents > Investigations
  • Enfield: ENF Global Documents > Radiology (X-rays-Ultrasound) folder
  • Haringey: HAR Global Documents > Imaging folder
  • Islington: ISL Global Documents > Imaging folder

MRI/Open MRI: EMIS forms for Barnet only

  • Barnet MRI Referral Form 
  • MRI Referral Form InHealth - Open MRI - NCL (BARNET) (June 2021) 

Open MRI: EMIS form for Enfield, Haringey and Islington

  • MRI Open Scanner Referral Form - NCL (Except Barnet) - InHealth

Locations

Barnet Hospital

Wellhouse Lane, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5 3DJ

Chase Farm Hospital

The Ridgeway, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 8JL

Edgware Community Hospital

Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 0AD

Finchley Memorial Hospital

Granville Road, London, N12 0JE

Potters Bar Hospital

Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 2RY

Royal Free Hospital

Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG

Service Feedback

RFL Radiology Department

rf.radiologyenquiries@nhs.net 020 7794 0500 ext 35886 (GP enquiries)

Downloads

Review date: Thursday, 06 February 2025