Who reads your scan, and what happens next

The report

Your images are read by a consultant radiologist — a doctor who specialises in interpreting scans — who writes a formal report. Reports usually reach us within a few working days, sooner for urgent findings.

The GP review

A GP reads every report before it reaches you and writes a short summary in plain English: what the scan shows, what it means for your symptoms, and whether anything needs doing. You receive that with the report, usually the same day it arrives.

See an example report (PDF)

A fictional knee MRI showing the consultant radiologist's report, and the GP summary and action plan you receive with it.

If something is found

Your GP calls you. Together you go through what the finding means and what happens next — treatment, a specialist referral or a further test. If you would rather talk through a normal result, you can book a GP consultation at any time.

If something significant is found

We contact you the same day wherever possible. Your GP will explain the finding and arrange the next step. Where a result needs urgent NHS action — a suspected cancer pathway, for example — we telephone your NHS practice ourselves and send them the report. In every other case you receive the report as a password-protected PDF and can hand it to your GP at your next appointment.

Incidental findings

Detailed scans sometimes show things unrelated to the reason for the scan: cysts, small nodules, changes that turn out to be harmless. Some need follow-up, most do not. Your GP will explain what is worth acting on. This is worth thinking about before a full body screen.

Your images

Most centres give you access to your images, on a disc or through an online portal. Ask the centre on the day.