Radiology workload--a solution reviewed after 14 years' experience

A method of controlling the radiological workload in a district general hospital, based on an estimation of the reasonable capacity of the department, was introduced in 1978. Measurement of the number of examinations performed compared with the estimated reasonable capacity shows that the method has been effective. An immediate 25% reduction in examinations was followed by a workload which varied between -4% and +16% of the capacity. An increase in the proportion of complex examinations in the period under review has been recognized. The method has encouraged referring doctors to exercise restraint and adopt guidelines, and helped persuade managers to increase capacity by appointing additional radiologists.