Radioactive substances temporary employer licences

Published: 22 April 2020 Radiotherapy

Applications are being accepted for temporary employer licenses by the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC).

A short form for employers has been created by the ARSAC to issue licenses to administer radioactive substances.

The licenses are for situations where existing diagnostic NHS services involving the administration of radioactive substances are being temporarily transferred because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The ARSAC notes that, for transfers of therapeutic services, the support unit should be contacted and any applications to transfer therapy services should be submitted on the full employer licence application form.

“Any transfer of services needs careful consideration and prior risk assessment as there are other regulatory requirements that also need to be satisfied,” the advice states.

“There is no fee for processing applications, and applications will be processed as a matter of urgency.”

For V/Q SPECT procedures, employers do not need to apply to amend their licence to administer an activity greater than the DRL.

However, the administration of an activity greater than the DRL must either be directly justified by the IR(ME)R Practitioner or detailed in a revised emergency protocol that is approved by the IR(ME)R Practitioner.

“Wherever possible, the patient’s best interest should be considered, and individual patient circumstances should be assessed on a case by case basis prior to administration,” the advice states. Further information can be found on BNMS.

ARSAC is continuing to process applications for employer and practitioner licences and research approvals. All applications should be submitted to ARSAC. 

All forms are available on the website.