The Specialist Pharmacy Service has published an updated Patient Group Direction template for administering sodium chloride intravenously for imaging investigations.
Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are written frameworks permitting qualified health professionals (including radiographers) to administer specific medicines to predetermined groups of patients, without a doctor present.
The SoR, in concert with the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) and the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), have helped to create this update with the support of expert members working within clinical practice.
Improved clarity
Version 2.0 of this template is valid from July 1 2025 until June 30 2029, and has been published early to allow organisations to undertake their local governance processes and approval cycles to integrate it into practice. The previous version remains currently valid, but will be removed on its expiry date, June 30.
This PGD specifically covers sodium chloride 0.9 per cent administration via multi-injector devices in NHS England-commissioned radiology services.
While it does not change the clinical use of sodium chloride flushes, it does improve clarity with updates to terminology.
Now, the document consistently uses the term “contrast agents” and has refined its wording around administration, with specific reference to “intravenous flush”. Guidance on documentation and operational limits, such as maximum flush volumes, has also been made clearer.
Strengthening patient safety
The SoR is encouraging services to begin reviewing and adopting the updated PGD now, to ensure it is fully in place ahead of national adoption.
As with all PGDs, local organisations must complete their own authorisation process, ensure practitioner sign‑off, and align with their governance policies before it becomes legally valid for use.
The SoR advises members that this updated template should be the single reference point for all UK radiology departments when developing their local version.
There is no penalty for not adopting it, but doing so helps reduce unwarranted variation, assures services of legal compliance and strengthens patient safety through consistent processes.
The updated PGD can be accessed online here.
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