Why a scan needs a referring doctor

You cannot walk in and buy a scan, and the reason is there to protect you rather than to slow you down.

By law, imaging that uses radiation has to be requested by a qualified clinician, who is responsible for deciding that the scan is justified, that the benefit outweighs the small dose, and that it is the right test for your question. That requirement exists so that scans are not handed out on spec.

There is a clinical reason on top of the legal one. The right scan for one person's question is often the wrong scan for another's, and a doctor's judgement beforehand prevents a wasted scan, a misleading result, or a finding that sends you down a path you never needed. The doctor step is where the test gets matched to your question.

None of this needs to mean an appointment and a wait. With us, a questionnaire about you and your question lets a doctor authorise the right scan and arrange it with our imaging partners, usually without you needing to come in at all. The doctor stands behind the scan, reads the result, and explains it; you get the convenience without losing the safeguard.

So the referring doctor is not a gatekeeper in your way. It is the part that makes sure your scan is worth having and that you are not left holding an image with no one to make sense of it.

Ready to start? Choose the check that fits your question and tell us a little about yourself. A doctor reviews it, arranges what you need, and explains what it means. Most of it is done online, with the clinic there if you would rather be seen.