The Hellenic Radiological Society (HRS) has accused doctors across Greece of routinely carrying out imaging scans, issuing diagnostic reports and performing invasive procedures without the legal qualifications to do so, in a new letter sent to the Ministry of Health, the Central Health Council (KESY), the Panhellenic Medical Association and local Medical Associations.
The society said the letter followed several days of public debate on the issue and called for guarantees that scans, medical reports and invasive procedures are carried out only by doctors with the required training and professional rights, and that legal operating conditions and radiation protection rules are respected.
According to the HRS, in practice ultrasounds of the abdomen, thyroid and breast are being performed by doctors without the required training or the right to carry out that specific examination. It said reports on imaging scans, including CT and MRI scans and cardiac imaging, are being issued by doctors without the corresponding authority. Biopsies and other imaging-guided procedures, such as breast biopsies, are being carried out without guarantees over the qualifications required, the suitability of the premises or the ability to manage complications, the society said. It also said machines using ionizing radiation are being used without the required procedures and radiation protection measures being followed.
Concerns Over Training Standards
The HRS said a radiology laboratory is subject to specific requirements covering premises, equipment and scientific responsibility, and that these requirements cannot be bypassed simply because a procedure takes place in the office of a doctor from another specialty. It said this is happening in practice without patients being aware of it.
The society also said short ultrasound seminars are being promoted in a way that creates the impression they are sufficient for doctors to carry out examinations on their own. It said buying a machine or attending a seminar does not replace the institutionalized training required and does not confer professional rights.
The HRS said it was concerned about regulations issued by the Ministry of Health itself that allow medical procedures using ionizing radiation to be carried out without ensuring the training required in radiation protection.
Legal Challenge Over Neurointerventional Procedures
The society has appealed to the Council of State, Greece's highest administrative court, over regulations covering Interventional Neuroradiology and Breast Surgery, which it considers incompatible with international training standards and a danger to patient safety.
The HRS also rejected the term "Neurointerventional Medicine" as misleading, saying it creates confusion over the core specialty and training of the doctor carrying out treatment. It said patients are entitled to clear information about the qualifications of the doctor they entrust with their health.
Calls for Checks by Medical Associations
The HRS asked local Medical Associations to carry out substantive, systematic checks on clinics and polyclinics where ultrasound machines have been installed and are in use, examining both the legality of their installation and use and the specialty, training and legal standing of the doctors operating them.
It also called for checks on cardiac imaging units, particularly over the performance and reporting of CT and MRI scans of the heart, and for clear boundaries to be maintained between clinical cardiology assessment and radiology work. The society said units carrying out biopsies and other imaging-guided invasive procedures should be checked for lawful operation, proper licensing and the qualifications and rights required under current rules.
It further called for checks on units with ionizing radiation machines, to confirm compliance with the current radiation protection framework and the approvals and licenses required from the Greek Atomic Energy Commission.
