The Department of Health and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will co-host the bi-annual meeting of the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) Working Group on Medical Applications under the auspices of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

HERCA, the voluntary association of radiation safety authorities in Europe, works to identify significant radiation protection issues and, where possible, develop harmonised and practical approaches to address them.

The meeting, which commences today at the Convention Centre in Dublin and will continue until Thursday, will bring together radiation protection authorities from across Europe, alongside representatives of key international organisations, to advance cooperation on the safe and effective use of ionising radiation in healthcare.

This meeting will provide an important forum for European regulators and international organisations to consider both established and emerging issues affecting radiation protection in medicine. These include the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and the interaction between recent European AI legislation and existing requirements for radiation protection.

At the meeting, HERCA will also launch a European inspection campaign to assess patient radiation protection and the justification of imaging in diagnostic radiology departments.

Hosting the meeting during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union will provide an opportunity to showcase the contribution Ireland makes, through HIQA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to radiation protection nationally and internationally.

It also demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to cooperation, sharing learnings and the continued development of high standards for radiation protection in medical settings.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health, said:

“The Department of Health are proud to co-host the meeting of the HERCA Working Group on Medical Application of ionising radiation with the Health Information and Quality Authority. The work of the HERCA WG MA to harmonise the implementation of radiation protection regulations in Europe plays an important role in keeping health services safe for those who use them and for those who deliver them. The goal of the Group aligns very closely with the aim of the Department, and of Ireland’s health care providers, to place the safety of patients, our health care staff and the general public, above all else. It also resonates strongly with our strategic focus for the EU Presidency to promote innovation across the health sector,
including in the area of regulation. We fully support any efforts to improve or enhance the EU’s regulatory environment, and I wish the HERCA Working Group every success in their work over the course of the event.”

HIQA’s Director of Healthcare Regulation, Sean Egan, said:

“The safe use of ionising radiation is critical to the delivery of high-quality healthcare. As medical technologies continue to develop, close cooperation between regulators across Europe is essential to ensure that radiation protection keeps pace with innovation.

Co-hosting the HERCA Working Group on Medical Applications in Ireland provides an important opportunity to share expertise and learning, contribute to greater consistency in radiation protection across Europe, and highlight Ireland’s contribution to protecting patients, healthcare professionals and the public. We look forward to sharing and learning from our international colleagues over the coming days.”

Find out more at the Meeting of the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities Working Group on Medical Applications (opens new webpage).

ENDS

Notes:

• The Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) is a voluntary association through which European radiation protection authorities cooperate on issues of common interest. Both HIQA and the Environmental Protection Agency are members of this group, as the regulators for ionising radiation in Ireland.
• The HERCA Working Group on Medical Applications focuses on radiation protection in healthcare, including the protection of patients, carers and comforters, healthcare professionals and members of the public, as well as radiation protection in biomedical research.
• Through its work, the group supports a common understanding and consistent approaches to the implementation of European radiation protection requirements. It also considers emerging developments in healthcare and their implications for radiation protection.
• The group’s work contributes to the effective implementation of European legislation, in particular Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, which establishes basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation.
• Representatives of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) provide updates on initiatives including the SAMIRA Action Plan, the EU’s comprehensive plan to support the safe, high-quality and reliable use of radiological and nuclear technologies in healthcare.
• Representatives from international organisations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), also participate as observers, providing an important link between European regulatory cooperation and wider international work on radiation protection and patient safety.

About HIQA

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is the independent body that promotes safety and quality in the provision of health and social care services in Ireland.

Through its regulation, standard setting and evidence to inform decision-making functions, HIQA supports health and social care services to consistently deliver excellent standards of care and the best possible health and social care outcomes for all.