NHSBSP 70

Guidance notes for the acquisition and testing of ultrasound scanners for use in the NHS Breast Screening Programme

Published April 2011 | ISBN 1 84463 073 8

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NHSBSP No 70: Guidance notes for the acquisition and testing of ultrasound scanners for use in the NHS Breast Screening Programme PDF 1.6Mb

This publication updates the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) guidance on breast ultrasound scanners which was published in 19981. The need for new guidance arises in part from changes in the performance and testing of scanners in the intervening years. As the performance of modern breast ultrasound equipment comfortably exceeds the 1998 requirements, the new guidance offers a clearer context in which to evaluate options for new scanners and on which to base the decommissioning of old ones.

These guidelines are designed to encourage the development and implementation of evidence-based methods for testing ultrasound scanners. They are not prescriptive, however, and recognise that some physics support services are not yet in a position fully to adopt the methods recommended. With a programme of regular review to maintain their validity, however, it is hoped that the new guidelines will help over time to raise standards.


1.Medical Devices Agency. Further Revision to Guidance Notes for Ultrasound Scanners used in the Examination of the Breast, with Protocol for Quality Testing, Report 98/52. London: Department of Health, 1998.