Good practice for radiographers in non-accidental injury

The imaging of children presenting with suspected non-accidental injury (NAI) can stir deep emotions in radiographers. Despite this, radiographers must retain their professionalism, not pass judgement and provide optimum quality images. The images produced will be used by the radiologist to give a diagnostic opinion, and could be used in a court of law for either the prosecution or the defence. Consequently, the role of the radiographer is crucial within the child protection team and the Family Proceedings Court. This paper outlines areas of good practice for individual radiographers, but can also be used by departments to write or review NAI protocols. The paper is based on a research project which was undertaken to determine the extent of knowledge radiographers have around the area of NAI, in an attempt to establish training needs for qualified staff.